Iran tried to assassinate one of Netanyahu's sons, prime minister says
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Iran of attempting to assassinate one of his sons on Monday.
Netanyahu made the accusation during an interview with Israel's Channel 14, saying he has asked Israeli law enforcement to boost protection measures for any prime ministerial candidate.
"This is an unbelievable case. Iran targeted one of my sons. Iran tried to murder him, tried to murder one of my sons," Netanyahu told the station, as reported by the Jerusalem Post.
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"Is this part of the intelligence provided to you?" a Channel 14 reporter asked.
"Iran tried to murder one of my sons. And this is why this promise [I am making] is more than a luxury – without it, they could succeed [in killing my son]. People need to show some restraint, especially during an election campaign," Netanyahu said.
Netanyahu did not clarify which of his two sons was the target of the plot.
The Israeli security agency Shin Bet granted extended protection services to Netanyahu's wife, Sara, and their sons, Yair and Avner, beginning in July.
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The prime minister did not describe details of the assassination plot nor did he say how Israeli intelligence became aware of it.
The accusation comes as Israel remains in negotiations for a withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon, where they had been fighting the Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorist group.
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The news comes after Israel publicized a massive store of rockets, grenades, drones, sniper rifles, automated weapons, anti-tank rocket launchers, mortars and other military firepower it has confiscated from Hezbollah and Hamas in recent months.
The seized weapons, ranging in manufacturers from the Islamic Republic of Iran to Russia and China to homegrown producers in Lebanon and Gaza, and even a Nazi-era gun, were part of the war machinery used by Hamas and Hezbollah against Israeli civilians and the IDF since Hamas terrorists attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
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Hezbollah and Hamas, known proxies of Iran, have killed over 300 American citizens, according to reports.
The Jewish state fought a multifront war against Iran and its proxies at the height of the conflict. The remains of Iranian rockets litter the ground outside the weapons storage facility at Tzrifin for journalists to inspect.