Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Iran ‘tried to kill’ one of his sons

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed Iran had attempted to assassinate one of his two sons

“Something incredible happened: Iran targeted one of my sons. Iran tried to kill one of my sons,” Netanyahu said during a phone interview with Israel’s Channel 14.

The claim came during a discussion about reports that the Shin Bet domestic security agency had declined to provide a security detail for Gadi Eisenkot, the former army chief who is running neck and neck with Netanyahu ahead of elections on October 27.

Mr Netanyahu voiced support for around-the-clock protection for Eisenkot, saying it was “not a luxury”.

“Without that, (the Iranians) will succeed,” he said.

Mr Netanyahu has two sons and a daughter. It remains unclear which of his sons was allegedly targeted.

His elder son, Yair, 35, has spent extended periods in Miami since early 2024, reportedly under Shin Bet protection.

His stay in the United States has attracted controversy in Israel over the cost to taxpayers of providing security, while some residents in south Florida have expressed concern that his presence could make the area a target for attacks by Israel’s enemies.

Shortly after Mr Netanyahu’s remarks became public on Monday, prominent Israeli journalist Amit Segal wrote on his Telegram channel that the alleged assassination attempt had been known for “months” but was subject to a gag order.

Israel killed Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei in the opening salvo of US-Israeli strikes on February 28, along with some of his family members.

Mr Netanyahu claims comes as independent Israeli body warned security failures that were in place prior to the October 7 , 2023 Hamas attack had resurfaced.

The October 7 Council group represents hundreds of families affected by the massacre, and their report released on Monday cited warnings from IDF soldiers on the Gaza Strip, The Jerusalem Post reported.

It also gathered testimonies from residents of communities nears Gaza and former Israel security officials.

The report rtitled Strategic Warning: Default 2026, said Hamas “has not yet been disarmed and continues to recruit, manufacture (weapons), rehabilitate itself and re-establish governing mechanisms”.

“Before October 7, Israel’s policy relied heavily on the assumption that Hamas was deterred and that the threat could be managed through force, deterrence, easing measures, and quiet.

“A disaster doesn’t begin the moment the enemy crosses the border. It begins when the warning signs are before our eyes, but the system doesn’t connect the dots.”

“Today ... the threat is once again being managed through agreements, the Yellow Line, future demilitarisation, international forces, and diplomatic mechanisms that have yet to prove they can actually dismantle it.”

The Yellow Line separates the Israeli-controlled part of Gaza from the remainder of the enclave.

“It’s not that gunmen come up to the border, up to the Yellow Line, and stop there. They cross it,” an Israeli reservist officer said in the report

“They cross this line day after day, they approach, they check us out, and sometimes – unbelievably – they manage to steal weapons from territory that the IDF is supposed to have total control over,” he continued.