Cabinet meeting moved to secure underground location in wake of drone attack on PM’s home
Ministers also prohibited from bringing along advisers; future meetings expected to be held at changing locations
The cabinet met Monday in an underground secure location in Jerusalem’s governmental complex and not at the Prime Minister’s Office due to security concerns, at the recommendation of the Shin Bet.
The decision was made due to an increase in threats against senior Israeli officials and in light of last week’s Hezbollah drone attack on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s home.
Government sources told news outlets that the move would not be a one-time event, and that cabinet meetings are expected to be held in changing locations for the near future due to the same security concerns.
Ministers were notified of the decision only in the morning, and were told that their advisers would not be allowed in due to the constraints of the space.
Three drones were launched from Lebanon in the attack on Netanyahu’s private residence in Caesarea earlier this month. Two were intercepted over Rosh Hanikra and Nahariya, respectively, and the third exploded on the home in the central seaside town known for its high-end villas and Roman ruins.
Days after the attack, the IDF cleared for publication the fact that the blast cracked glass in a bedroom window, but did not penetrate the home, apparently because of reinforced glass and other protections. Afterward, the Prime Minister’s Office requested NIS 2 million to boost security.
Senior Israeli officials have increasingly become targets of Iran and its proxies, and security forces have recently made numerous arrests of individuals in Israel hired by Iran to commit acts of espionage and terror, including assassinations.
Iran on Monday stepped up threats against Israel following the IDF’s weekend strike on the Islamic Republic in response for Tehran’s October 1 ballistic missile barrage at Israel.
The head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Hossein Salami said the Israeli strike’s “bitter consequences will be unimaginable,” according to the Tasnim news agency.
