Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's eldest son, Yair Netanyahu, has urgently returned to Israel from the United States after Israeli authorities identified a serious threat to his life.
Shin Bet, Israel's domestic intelligence service, confirmed on Saturday evening that it had received information about a significant threat to Yair Netanyahu. After assessing the situation, authorities decided to immediately evacuate him, along with his security team, and return him to Israel.
The Shin Bet did not disclose the source of the threat or other details about its nature. However, the American broadcaster Newsmax reported earlier this week that Yair Netanyahu was suspected of being the target of an assassination plot by Iran in December of last year, when he was living in Florida.
According to Newsmax, Israeli intelligence had informed US authorities after learning of the suspected plot. The report, citing a US law enforcement official, claims that authorities in the US were warned of the potential danger to the Israeli prime minister's son.
The development comes shortly after Benjamin Netanyahu claimed in an interview with Channel 14 that Iran had targeted one of his sons. "Iran targeted one of my sons. Iran tried to kill one of my sons," the Israeli prime minister was quoted as saying.
Yair Netanyahu, who has long been accompanied by an Israeli security team, has reportedly been ordered to leave Florida immediately. According to Newsmax, he left without taking his personal belongings with him and returned directly to Israel under increased security.
The eldest son of the Israeli prime minister has lived in Florida for several years.
His stay in the United States, along with his lifestyle and state-funded security, has been a constant subject of debate and criticism in Israel, especially after the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023.
Hundreds of thousands of Israeli reservists have been mobilized since the start of the war, while Yair Netanyahu's decision to stay abroad has prompted criticism from part of the public opinion, which has considered this a double standard.
Yair Netanyahu is also active on social media, where he often comments on political developments in Israel and attacks his father's political opponents, government critics, and journalists.
At this time, Israeli authorities have not said whether the threat is directly linked to Iran or any other group. Investigations and risk assessments are ongoing, and the emergency return to Israel has raised new questions about the level of threat to the Israeli prime minister's family.
