A rocket strike on a soccer field in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on Saturday resulted in the deaths of 11 people, including children, Israeli authorities reported. They attributed the attack to Hezbollah and pledged to retaliate against the Iran-backed Lebanese organisation.
Hezbollah has refuted any responsibility for the strike, which stands as the deadliest incident in Israel or Israeli-annexed territory since the Gaza conflict began.
Foreign Minister Israel Katz told Axios that “today’s Hezbollah attack crossed all red lines, and the response will be proportional. We are nearing the point of an all-out war against Hezbollah and Lebanon”.
Hezbollah, in a written statement, declared: “The Islamic Resistance has no involvement in the incident and categorically refutes all false accusations related to it.” Earlier, the group had declared it was behind several rocket attacks on Israeli military positions in other areas from Lebanon.
Since the outbreak of the Gaza war, Hezbollah and Israel have been exchanging fire along or near the Lebanese-Israeli border. This ongoing conflict has heightened concerns of a potential full-scale war between the heavily armed rivals.
The Israeli ambulance service reported that 13 additional injuries occurred when a rocket from Lebanon struck a football field in the Druze village of Majdal Shams.
Idan Avshalom, a medic with the Magen David Adom ambulance service, described the scene as devastating: “When we arrived at the soccer field, there was significant damage and several items were on fire. We found casualties on the grass, and the scene was appalling.”
According to a witness who requested anonymity, “The rocket struck the soccer field, and all the victims were children. There are numerous bodies and remains scattered across the field, and we don’t know who they are,” as reported to Reuters.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, originally scheduled to return from the United States overnight on Saturday, said he would advance his flight and hold a meeting with his security cabinet as soon as he arrives.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, an ally in the far-right coalition, urged for severe retaliation, targeting even Hezbollah’s leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.
Smotrich posted on X, “Nasrallah must be held accountable for the death of children, and all of Lebanon should suffer the consequences. The prime minister must return immediately; it’s time for decisive action.”
The UNIFIL peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, represented by spokesperson Andrea Tenenti, reported to Reuters that the force commander was working with authorities in both Lebanon and Israel “to gather details about the Majdal Shams incident and to ensure stability”.
Strikes from Lebanon
Hezbollah has been the leading Iran-backed group among several Middle Eastern organisations supporting Hamas since October. Other Iranian-backed factions, such as Iraqi groups and Yemen’s Houthis, have also targeted Israel.
Additionally, Hamas and the Lebanese Sunni group Jama’a Islamiya have launched rocket attacks on Israel from Lebanon.
The Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, seized from Syria during the 1967 Middle East war and annexed by Israel in 1981, remains a disputed area with ongoing Syrian claims for its return.
The region is home to over 40,000 residents, including a significant Druze population, an Arab minority practicing an offshoot of Islam.
The recent attack on the soccer field occurred after an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon that resulted in the deaths of four militants, including at least one member of Hezbollah.
The Israeli military stated that its airstrike targeted a Hezbollah military facility after spotting a militant cell entering the site.
In response, Hezbollah declared responsibility for at least four attacks, including Katyusha rocket launches, targeting Israel.
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