At least twelve people were killed when rockets hit the Golan Heights
A rocket hit a football field – the victims were children and teenagers. Israel is horrified — and wants to make Hezbollah pay dearly for it.
The rocket hit a playground. (July 27, 2024)
Photo: Atef Safadi (Keystone)
A deadly rocket attack attributed to Hezbollah threatens to push Israel and Lebanon’s Shiite militias to the brink of all-out war. UN officials urged both sides to exercise “greater restraint”.
At least 12 people, children and youths between the ages of 10 and 20, died in the town of Majd al-Shams in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, according to Israeli military reports. A rocket from Hezbollah’s weapons depot struck a busy soccer stadium there on Saturday evening.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog was shocked. “Today Hezbollah terrorists attack brutally and their only crime is killing children playing football,” he wrote in X. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu immediately threatened retaliation. “Hezbollah will pay a high price for this, a price it has yet to pay,” Netanyahu said, according to his office.
The Prime Minister is said to want to meet the Defense Cabinet on Sunday after his return from the US. Netanyahu addressed Congress in the United States and met with US President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Trump. He brought forward several hours before his departure from Washington.
In a statement, Hezbollah said it had nothing to do with the incident. Allegations of assaulting Majdal Shams are categorically denied. Army spokesman Daniel Hagari described it as a “lie”. The missile is an Iranian Farak-1 missile that is used exclusively by Hezbollah. This would have come to light in the forensic investigation. Shiite militias are backed by Iran and share its anti-Israel stance. “Hezbollah is behind this catastrophe and must bear the consequences,” Hagari said.
According to the Israeli military, Hezbollah fired about 40 rockets into the Golan Heights from Lebanon. The military said at least one rocket hit Majdal Shams. Israeli media said it was the worst incident since fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in October. Due to this, there is a fear that a huge forest fire will break out in the area.
“There is no doubt that Hezbollah crossed all the red lines,” Foreign Minister Israel Katz told Channel 12. “We are facing an all-out war.” This may come at a high cost to Israel, but even more so to Hezbollah, the chief diplomat warned.
The victims are said to be children and teenagers. (July 27, 2024)
Photo: Atef Safadi (Keystone)
Experts believe a miss is possible
Israeli military expert Sharid Zehawi pointed out that Shiite militias had previously claimed responsibility for attacks on an Israeli military base on Mount Herman. “It’s very easy to miss the site of Mount Herman with imprecise missiles like the Farak,” he said. Majd al-Shams is immediately below.
Shiite militias say they are preparing for a serious attack by Israel. “We have been waiting for months, we are alert for an enemy attack,” the German Press Agency learned from Hezbollah sources. “It’s nothing new, we’re always on standby.” According to sources, they are now anticipating a possible “heavy attack”.
People gather at the football field in Majdal Shams village. (July 27, 2024)
Photo: Jala Marie (AFP)
Netanyahu returned early from the US
After the rocket attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants the US to return to Israel as soon as possible and threatens severe consequences. The head of government announced in a telephone conversation with the spiritual leader of the Druze that the attack on the village of Majd al-Shams, where the religious community resides, would not be without consequences, “The Times of Israel” newspaper quoted Netanyahu’s office as saying. “Prime Minister Netanyahu made it clear that Israel will not simply give up on murderous attacks, and that Hezbollah will pay a heavy price for not giving in,” the head of the government office was quoted as saying.
Already in the US, his military adviser briefed Netanyahu on the situation in the battered village of Majd al-Shams. After his return, the Prime Minister will convene the Defense Cabinet, his office said.
Newspaper “The Times of Israel» Citing Netanyahu’s delegation in the US, it was reported that the return flight, which was already scheduled for the evening, would be brought forward by a few hours. Netanyahu had Addressed Congress in America and met with US President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President and presidential candidate Donald Trump.
UN delegates want “greater restraint”.
Lebanon’s caretaker government condemned “all acts of violence and attacks against civilians” after the attack. It called for an “immediate end to hostilities on all fronts,” as the caretaker government declared to the NNA. Attacks against civilians are a “flagrant violation of international law”.
UNIFIL, the UN monitoring mission that has monitored the border area between Israel and Lebanon since 1978, was also quick to comment. The UN mission is “in contact with the parties to reduce tensions,” Unfil spokeswoman Andrea Tenenti told the German press agency.
Other UN delegates also insisted on “greater restraint”. Forest fires should be avoided in this area. “We regret the deaths of civilians – young children and young adults – in Majd al-Shams. Civilians must be protected at all times,” said the UN in Lebanon. The head of the peacekeeping force, Haroldo Lazaro, and the country’s special coordinator, Jeanine Hennis-Plassard, said in a joint statement.
“We call on the parties to exercise as much restraint as possible and to end the ongoing heavy firefights,” it said. The two UN representatives warned that these “could ignite a massive conflagration that could engulf the entire region in unimaginable devastation”. We are in contact with Lebanon and Israel.
The Golan Heights was inhabited primarily by the Druze
The Golan Heights is a strategically important rocky plateau approximately 60 kilometers long and 25 kilometers wide. The plateau was captured by Israel in 1967 and annexed in 1981. But it is not recognized internationally. Under international law, these areas are considered Israeli-occupied territory in Syria.
It is mainly the Druze who live in the village that have been attacked now. The Arabic-speaking religious community evolved from Shiite Islam in the 11th century and is now primarily located in Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan.
The Israeli armed forces and Hezbollah have been fighting almost daily since the Gaza war began. Recently the intensity has increased significantly. There have already been casualties on both sides. Hezbollah says it is working in solidarity with Islamist Hamas in the Gaza Strip. There have long been fears that the conflict could spread.
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