Rocket Strike in Golan Heights Escalates Tensions
The tragic incident has claimed the lives of several children, intensifying the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
Published July 28, 2024 - 00:07am
IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari confirmed Saturday at least 10 Israelis have died and 20 more are injured after a rocket strike hit a soccer field in Majdal Shams, in Israeli-controlled Golan Heights. All of those killed are between the ages of 10 and 20 years old.
We share the grief of the families of the victims and embrace the entire Druze community at this difficult time. We send strength to those injured and wish them a speedy recovery, Hagari said. From the initial inquiry into the incident, an alert was activated, but it was an immediate alert that was too short. From the IAF's inquiry, at the moment it appears that this was a single rocket. We are now looking into this in-depth and will release the details transparently to the public.
Hagari placed the responsibility for the attack squarely on Hezbollah, though they have denied having a role in the tragedy. Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran, is based in Lebanon. Shortly after Hamas's Oct. 7 attack in Israel, Hezbollah began firing rockets and missiles into northern Israel. The two sides have continued to engage in cross-border fires with the potential for all-out war viewed as ongoing and escalating possibility.
In the past hour, Hezbollah has been lying and denying its responsibility for the incident. Our intelligence is clear - Hezbollah is responsible for killing innocent children. Ten-year-old children. And once again, the brutality of Hezbollah as a terrorist organization was exposed. This is a very serious incident and we will act accordingly. The IDF will do everything to protect the citizens of the State of Israel, Hagari said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was in the U.S. this week to make his case and shore up support in the midst of a war against Hamas, said Hezbollah will pay a heavy price for this attack, one that it has not paid so far, according to his office.
This attack, the deadliest in this northern territory since the fighting started, stokes fears of escalation. What happened today could be the trigger we have been worried about and tried to avoid for 10 months, one U.S. official said to Axios. Hezbollah is believed to have a larger and more sophisticated arsenal than Hamas. An all-out war would likely include heavy casualties and damage to both sides.
Hezbollah's provocations threaten to drag the Israeli and Lebanese people into a war that they do not want. Such a war would be a catastrophe for Lebanon, and it would be devastating for innocent Israeli and Lebanese civilians, Austin said. Another war between Israel and Hezbollah could easily become a regional war, with terrible consequences for the Middle East and so diplomacy is by far the best way to prevent more escalation.
Israel and Hezbollah last went to war in 2006 and the conflict lasted about a month. Hezbollah is currently violating the United Nations Security Council resolution that ended that war, which bars them from maintaining a presence south of the Litani River, which is located roughly 18 miles north of the Israel-Lebanon border.
Israeli health officials said a rocket landed on a soccer field full of children and teenagers.
Earlier reports put the casualties at nine dead and 30 wounded. Israeli health officials said a rocket landed on a soccer field full of children and teenagers. The IDF said its intelligence indicated Hezbollah fired the rocket from Lebanon. Hezbollah denied any involvement.
Majdal Shams sits near the separation line between Israel and Syria and has been under Israeli control since the 1967 Six-Day War. Most people in the village are Druze, an Arab ethnoreligious group.