The Israeli Air Force launched air strikes against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, following a deadly rocket attack on the Druze town of Majdal Shams in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
The attack, which occurred on Saturday, resulted in the tragic deaths of 12 children and young adults who were playing football. Israeli authorities have accused the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah of orchestrating the attack, but Hezbollah has strongly denied any involvement.
In response, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) conducted strikes against seven Hezbollah positions “deep inside Lebanese territory,” although it remains unclear whether there were any casualties. The IDF stated that the targets included “weapons caches and terrorist infrastructure.”
The incident has heightened tensions, with fears that it could escalate into a full-scale war between Israel and Hezbollah, who have exchanged fire multiple times since the outbreak of the Israel-Gaza war in October.
The attack in Majdal Shams marks the deadliest incident on Israel’s northern border since the conflict began on 7 October.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was in the United States at the time, vowed retaliation against Hezbollah, stating that the group would “pay a heavy price.” Hours later, the Israeli Air Force confirmed the strikes, targeting what it described as “terror targets.”
A UN statement emphasised the need for “maximum restraint” by all parties, warning that a wider conflict could “engulf the entire region in a catastrophe beyond belief.”
Meanwhile, Hezbollah spokesman Mohamad Afif denied the group’s involvement, and reports emerged suggesting that Hezbollah had informed the United Nations that the explosion was caused by an Israeli interceptor rocket.
Israeli authorities confirmed that all the victims were aged between 10 and 20, although Israeli media reported that some were younger. Verified video footage showed crowds of people on a football pitch, with stretchers being rushed to ambulances.
Majdal Shams is one of four villages in the Golan Heights, home to around 25,000 members of the Arabic-speaking Druze community. The area has been a point of contention, with many Druze residents having declined Israeli citizenship offered after the Golan Heights was annexed from Syria in 1981. The vast majority of the international community does not recognise Israel’s annexation of the region.
The attack comes amidst a backdrop of heightened hostilities, with both Israel and Hezbollah exchanging fire since October, though both sides have generally refrained from actions that could lead to a broader war in southern Lebanon.
Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif, the leader of the Druze community in Israel, condemned the attack as a “horrific massacre” and criticised the government’s handling of the situation, stating that “continuous harm to its citizens and residents” cannot be tolerated. Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Foreign Minister Israel Katz also condemned the attack, with Katz warning that the situation could escalate into an “all-out war.”
Lebanon’s government issued a rare statement condemning the violence, calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities and stressing that “targeting civilians is a flagrant violation of international law.”
The incident has drawn international condemnation, with the US and EU joining the call for restraint. UN envoy Tor Wennesland warned that the Middle East is on the brink, stating that “the world and the region cannot afford another open conflict.”
Ozioma Samuel-Ugwuezi
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