Three individuals were arrested early Sunday morning after two flares were fired at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s private residence in Caesarea, Israel Police reported. The flares landed in the yard of the house, but no damage occurred, and Netanyahu’s family was not present at the time. The incident is being investigated by the Israel Police’s Lahav 433 unit and Shin Bet, who have called the situation a “dangerous escalation.”
The attack drew swift condemnation from across Israel’s political spectrum. Opposition leaders Yair Lapid and Benny Gantz both strongly condemned the flare assault and called for the arrest of those responsible. Yisrael Beytenu party leader Avigdor Liberman said the incident signaled a growing threat to Israel’s democratic institutions, stressing that the perpetrators must be brought to justice.
President Isaac Herzog also expressed concern, emphasizing the importance of swiftly investigating and addressing the issue. “This attack must not lead to further escalation,” he said, warning against rising violence in the public domain.
Justice Minister Yariv Levin described the flare attack as part of a wider effort to undermine the government, framing it as a “violent coup attempt” aimed at overthrowing Israel’s leadership. He used the incident to push for the revival of the controversial judicial overhaul plan, which has divided the nation.
Gantz criticized Levin’s call for resuming the judicial reform, pointing out that past attempts had caused significant harm to Israeli society and contributed to divisions in the country. “The last time we tried this, it brought disaster,” Gantz said, referencing the tumultuous events leading up to the October 7 attacks.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir warned that the attack on Netanyahu’s home marks a new level of incitement against the prime minister, predicting that future violence could escalate. Housing Minister Yitzchak Goldknopf echoed this, attributing the attack to the widespread incitement against the government.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich also voiced his concerns, calling on law enforcement to take stronger action to prevent further violence. Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana blamed the rise in incitement on a failure to act decisively against inflammatory rhetoric in the national discourse.
The attack follows a Hezbollah drone strike last month that lightly damaged Netanyahu’s home, prompting the government to seek a significant increase in security for the prime minister’s residence.