‘Grave mistake,’ says Netanyahu after try on his life; Iran alleges Hezbollah behind drone assault

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday (October 19, 2024) accused Iran-backed Hezbollah of making an attempt to assassinate him, with the Center East already on edge after Israel had vowed retaliation for an Iranian missile barrage.

Mr. Netanyahu’s workplace mentioned a drone was launched towards his residence within the central city of Caesarea however he and his spouse weren’t dwelling on the time and there have been no accidents.

“The try by Iran’s proxy Hezbollah to assassinate me and my spouse at this time was a grave mistake,” Mr. Netanyahu mentioned in a press release.

“Anybody who tries to hurt Israel’s residents can pay a heavy value,” he mentioned in feedback directed at Tehran and “its proxies”, which embody Lebanon’s Hezbollah, a bunch Israel has been at conflict with since late September.

The Lebanese group, armed and financed by Iran, didn’t acknowledge the assault however late Saturday Iran’s United Nations mission mentioned “this motion was taken” by Hezbollah.

Israeli army spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari mentioned a drone “hit a constructing in Caesarea, whereas making an attempt to hit the prime minister”.

Caesarea is about 20 kilometres (12 miles) south of the Haifa metropolis space which Hezbollah has usually focused.

Whereas preventing a two-front conflict, in Lebanon and in Gaza, Israel has additionally vowed to answer Iran’s October 1 missile barrage with a “lethal, exact and stunning,” assault, in response to Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.

Hamas ‘a actuality’

Iran mentioned it fired 200 missiles at its arch-foe in response to the killing of an Iranian normal and Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah.

Gaza’s civil defence company mentioned Saturday {that a} sweeping Israeli army operation has killed greater than 400 individuals in two weeks within the territory’s north.

Hamas ally Hezbollah has vowed to accentuate assaults on Israel and on Saturday launched rocket barrages at Israel’s north, the place rescuers mentioned one man was killed by shrapnel.

Hamas, Hezbollah and allied Iran-backed teams within the area have vowed to maintain preventing after Israeli troops on Wednesday killed the Palestinian motion’s chief Yahya Sinwar in Gaza, greater than a 12 months into the conflict triggered by Hamas’s October 7, 2023 assault on Israel.

“Hamas is a actuality in Palestine that nobody can ignore, nobody can destroy,” Iranian International Minister Abbas Araghchi instructed state TV on Saturday after assembly a Hamas consultant in Istanbul.

‘Unspeakable horrors’

Israel, vowing to cease Hamas militants from regrouping in northern Gaza, launched a serious air and floor assault on October 6, tightening its siege on the war-battered space and sending tens of hundreds of individuals fleeing.

Civil defence company spokesman Mahmud Bassal mentioned “we now have recovered greater than 400 martyrs from the assorted focused areas within the northern Gaza Strip”, together with Jabalia and its refugee camp, for the reason that Israeli operation started.

Contacted by AFP, the Israeli army mentioned it was trying into the civil defence company’s experiences out of Gaza, together with that an in a single day air raid on Jabalia killed 33 individuals.

“Greater than a 12 months has handed, and daily our blood is shed,” displaced Gazan Nasser Shaqura mentioned outdoors a hospital in Deir el-Balah, the place victims of an Israeli air strike had been taken.

“Day by day, each hour, there’s a bloodbath,” he mentioned. “That is what our lives have change into”.

Palestinians reside by way of “unspeakable horrors” within the north of the Gaza Strip, the UN’s performing humanitarian chief Joyce Msuya mentioned on X.

‘Unspeakable horrors’

The violence has dashed hopes that Sinwar’s loss of life might convey the conflict to an finish or result in the swift launch of 97 hostages nonetheless held by militants in Gaza, together with 34 the Israeli army says are useless.

On the newest rally in Tel Aviv urging a deal to free the captives, Iris Shahar-Lavi, aunt of captive Israeli soldier Naama Levy, mentioned Sinwar’s loss of life “makes us each very anxious for her destiny, but additionally very hopeful that perhaps that is the chance to seal a deal”.

The conflict was sparked by the unprecedented Hamas assault final 12 months that resulted within the deaths of 1,206 individuals, largely civilians, in response to an AFP tally of official Israeli figures.

Israel’s marketing campaign to crush Hamas and convey again the hostages has killed 42,519 individuals in Gaza, largely civilians, in response to information from the well being ministry within the Hamas-run territory, figures the UN considers dependable.

The director of the Indonesian Hospital in north Gaza mentioned Israeli forces had been shelling the ability, and Gaza’s well being ministry mentioned two sufferers had died. It blamed the Israeli siege and lack of medical provides.

The army reported troops working close to the ability however mentioned “no intentional fireplace” had been directed at it.

The Israeli military mentioned two troopers “fell in fight in northern Gaza” Saturday, taking to 357 the loss of life toll amongst troops in Gaza for the reason that begin of the bottom offensive in late October 2023.

Strikes on Lebanon

Defence ministers from the G7 wealthy nations — Italy, France, Germany, Britain, Japan, Canada and the USA — known as on Iran to cease supporting Hamas and Hezbollah.

In a press release after a gathering in Italy, additionally they expressed concern over “the danger of additional escalation” within the Center East in addition to “threats” to the safety of UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon.

In Lebanon, the place Israel final month escalated air raids and deployed floor forces after almost a 12 months of cross-border exchanges with Hezbollah, state media and the well being ministry reported extra lethal strikes Saturday.

Israel mentioned its air pressure had struck “Hezbollah weapons storage amenities” and an intelligence centre within the group’s south Beirut stronghold. Floor forces continued “focused” raids in southern Lebanon.

Since late September, the conflict has left not less than 1,454 individuals useless in Lebanon, in response to an AFP tally of Lebanese well being ministry figures.