Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on October 19 that Iran and its “agents” will pay a price for attacking his residence. Reports from Gaza indicated that Israeli warplanes launched intense airstrikes on a residential area in northern Gaza the same day, resulting in numerous casualties.
On the same day, Netanyahu’s office reported that Hezbollah fired a drone targeting Netanyahu’s private residence in the city of Caesarea. At the time of the incident, Netanyahu and his wife were not at home, and there were no injuries.
That night, Netanyahu took to social media to respond to the assassination attempt, declaring that Hezbollah’s actions constituted a “serious mistake” and vowed that Iran and its agents would face severe consequences. He emphasized that this attempt would not deter Israel from continuing its military operations and affirmed the country’s commitment to achieving all military objectives.
Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen also expressed via social media that the attack showcased “Iran’s true nature” and reiterated Israel’s intent to combat terrorists and their supporters until all goals are met.
Iran’s permanent mission to the United Nations denied the Israeli accusations, asserting that the drone attack was carried out by Hezbollah. Meanwhile, Al Jazeera reported that Hezbollah had not officially commented on the matter but claimed it conducted multiple rocket attacks on northern and central Israel.
The Lebanese National News Agency reported that in the past 24 hours, 82 airstrikes and explosions were recorded across Lebanon, including in the southern suburbs of Beirut.
According to CNN, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, attending a G7 defense ministers’ meeting in Italy on the same day, called on Israel to “de-escalate attacks on Beirut and its surroundings.” He expressed hope that the situation could shift toward negotiations, enabling civilians on both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border to return home.
In a statement released on the evening of October 19, the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement, or Hamas, reported that Israeli airstrikes targeted the Beit Lahia residential area in northern Gaza, killing at least 73 people. The statement emphasized that the bombed area was densely populated, with most victims being women and children, and mentioned that dozens were either missing or injured. Hamas labeled the airstrike as a “horrific massacre.”
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) responded to claims of civilian casualties, stating that Hamas had “exaggerated the casualty figures,” which did not align with the information the IDF had. They announced an investigation into the incident, underlining that it occurred in a combat zone where the target was Hamas militants, and reaffirmed their commitment to minimizing harm to innocents.
According to Reuters, health officials in Gaza reported that rescue operations were hampered for a second consecutive day due to communication and internet outages. Local residents and medical personnel noted that the Israeli military had intensified its siege of the Jabaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza, deploying tanks in nearby areas and issuing evacuation orders to residents. Israeli officials claimed that the evacuation orders aimed to separate Hamas personnel from civilians.
