Workers have installed large anti-drone nets at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's private home on Gaza Street in Jerusalem, as security officials move to protect against the threat of explosive drones, Ynet reported.
The work took place over the past two days. Two cranes blocked the street, a main traffic artery in the Rehavia neighborhood, while at least 10 workers installed the protective netting.
The house has been recognized as an alternate official residence for the prime minister, although the Netanyahus do not currently live there. It has undergone extensive renovations over the past year and a half, including construction of an elevator, installation of iron scaffolding and a protected shelter, and the placement of fences and concrete barriers on the street to block traffic.
Some neighbors criticized the work. One resident told Ynet that the area is densely built, and asked whether authorities would also consider protection for nearby residents rather than causing alarm.
The installation follows another security project on the street. Ynet reported last month that the Shin Bet and the Prime Minister's Office security division began building a 15- to 20-meter sterile passage before Yom Kippur, leading from the Gaza Street house to the Yad Tamar synagogue on Ha'Ari Street. Construction was halted midway, and Netanyahu did not use it or attend the synagogue during the holiday.
Explosive drones have become a growing concern for Israel's security establishment. In October 2024, a drone launched by Hezbollah from Lebanon struck Netanyahu's private home in Caesarea. Neither he nor his wife was there at the time, and no one was hurt. Netanyahu later said that "agents of Iran" had tried to assassinate him and his wife.
In August, Netanyahu said he had instructed the IDF and the defense establishment to do everything possible against the threat of attack drones, as concerns grew that the danger would spread to the Gaza front.
