Netanyahu: A drone strike near the private home of Israel’s prime minister as it escalates its offensive in northern Gaza
- Author, draft
- Author title, bbc news world
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said a drone was launched toward his private residence in the coastal city of Caesarea in the country’s north.
“The Prime Minister and his wife were not there, and no injuries In the incident,” a statement said.
The news came after the Israeli military said three drones were launched from Lebanon into Israel on Saturday morning, one of which hit a building in Caesarea.
The Israeli government did not say whether the building was part of the Prime Minister’s residence or the extent of the damage.
At 08:19 local time, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said: “In the past hour, three unmanned aerial vehicles arrived in the country from Lebanon.”
“Two planes were intercepted. “Another plane hits a building in Caesarea, no injuries.”
“Until victory”
Netanyahu uses two private addresses Caesarea and Jerusalemand also spent time beet aghionThe official residence of the Prime Minister in Jerusalem, currently under renovation.
According to the IDF, about 55 rockets were fired at Israel from Lebanon so far on Saturday.
Israel continues to attack targets in Lebanon that it claims are linked to the Iran-backed Hezbollah group.
Israeli bombardment continued in various parts of Lebanon this Saturday.
At least 8 airstrikes were carried out in southern neighborhoods of the Israeli capital Beirut, two of which were near the airport, which is still in use for civilian flights.
According to the Lebanese National News Agency, 5 people were killed in the Bekaa Valley, including a mayor.
The country’s health ministry also said Saturday that two more people had been killed in an Israeli attack in the predominantly Christian town of Jounieh, north of Beirut.
According to local media, the attack took place on a moving car on a main road.
The attack is unusual, as most Israeli operations so far have focused on Shia Muslim-majority areas where Hezbollah has a strong presence.
Meanwhile, after Netanyahu’s office released information about the attack in Caesarea, the prime minister said nothing would stop him and that Israel will continue its fight against Hamas “until victory”.
“We have eliminated the master murderer Yahya Sinwar,” he said in a video posted on social media.
Sinwar, one of the main architects of the October 7, 2023 attack against Israel, was killed by Israeli soldiers on Wednesday.
“I said we are in a war of resurgence and we will continue until the end,” Netanyahu said.
Gaza offensive
During Friday night, Israeli forces continued their offensive into northern Gaza and the Jabaliya refugee camp, forcing about 20,000 people to flee, according to UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.
“People have lost everything. They need everything: food, water, blankets and mattresses: the most basic of basics.” said Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner General of UNRWA, in a publication on the social network X.
They also reported severe shortages of fuel and medical supplies in the remaining hospitals in the area.
“It is time to end the war and show political will,” he said.
The death toll in Gaza since the war began a year ago has now reached more than 42,519, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
Communications with northern Gaza are difficult, but the BBC was able to exchange messages with Dr. Marwan Al Sultan of the Indonesian hospital in the city of Beit Lahiya.
,Today we lost two injured patients in the intensive care unit due to power outageWhich is very important for the oxygen generator,” he said.
“The entire hospital is surrounded by Israeli forces, and the medical staff can’t turn on the generators. They attacked the second and third floors of the hospital,” the doctor said. He assured that they could not see outside because Israeli soldiers were “attacking”. To look out the windows in case anyone moved.”
The Israeli military told the BBC that its troops were attacking “terrorists” operating near the hospital and that “it was not intentionally fired upon.”
On Friday night, Hamas authorities in Gaza said that the homes of three families had been hit by airstrikes and said that At least 33 people died, of whom 21 were women, and 85 were injured.,
A video posted on social media – which the BBC has so far been unable to verify – shows bodies wrapped in blankets and shrouds on the floor of the nearby Al Awda hospital.
The hospital director sent a message to journalists informing them that their wards were full and people were being treated on the floor.
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