July 27th 2024.
In a tragic turn of events, a rocket strike on Saturday at a soccer field in the Golan Heights has resulted in the death of at least 11 children and teenagers, according to Israeli authorities. This is the deadliest strike on an Israeli target along the country's northern border since the ongoing fighting between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah began. The attack has caused widespread fear of a broader regional war.
Israel has placed the blame on Hezbollah for the strike, which occurred in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights. However, Hezbollah has swiftly denied any involvement in the attack. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned that Hezbollah "will pay a heavy price for this attack, one that it has not paid so far." This was echoed by Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the Israeli military's chief spokesman, who called it the deadliest attack on Israeli civilians since the beginning of the war in Gaza.
The strike, which took place just before sunset, followed earlier cross-border violence on Saturday, where Hezbollah claimed that three of its fighters were killed. Israel's military has stated that its air force targeted a Hezbollah arms depot in the border village of Kfar Kila, claiming that militants were inside at the time. In response, Hezbollah has stated that its fighters carried out nine different attacks using rockets and explosive drones against Israeli military posts, with the last one targeting the army command of the Haramoun Brigade with Katyusha rockets.
The situation has escalated quickly, with Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz telling Israeli Channel 12 that "there is no doubt that Hezbollah has crossed all the red lines here, and the response will reflect that." He went on to say that "we are nearing the moment in which we face an all-out war." Meanwhile, Hezbollah chief spokesman Mohammed Afif has told the Associated Press that the group "categorically denies carrying out an attack on Majdal Shams."
The strike has caused shock and devastation in the Druze town of Majdal Shams, where footage aired on Israeli Channel 12 showed a large blast in one of the valleys. The town, which was captured by Israel from Syria in the 1967 Mideast war and annexed in 1981, has a mix of Druze who hold Israeli citizenship and others who still have ties to Syria. Many residents were left traumatized as paramedics rushed stretchers off the soccer field towards waiting ambulances.
Ha'il Mahmoud, a resident, told Channel 12 that children were playing soccer when the rocket hit the field. He added that a siren was heard seconds before the rocket hit, but there was no time to take shelter. Jihan Sfadi, the principal of an elementary school, told Channel 12 that five students were among the dead, saying "the situation here is very difficult. Parents are crying, people are screaming outside. No one can digest what has happened."
Israel's military has released its analysis, stating that the rocket was launched from an area north of the village of Chebaa in southern Lebanon. The White House National Security Council has issued a statement, reaffirming the US's support for Israel's security and condemning all attacks on civilians. Meanwhile, Lebanon's government has called for an immediate cessation of hostilities on all fronts and condemned all attacks on civilians.
Saturday's violence is the latest in a series of incidents along the Lebanon-Israel border, as tensions have risen since the attack by Hamas militants on October 7. Efforts to ease the tensions by international officials have been unsuccessful, with Hezbollah refusing to stop firing as long as Israel's offensive in Gaza continues. This latest attack has only added to the already tense situation, with both sides weighing a potential ceasefire to end the nearly 10-month war in Gaza. The toll of this war has been devastating, with thousands of lives lost on both sides.
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