News Mania Desk/Agnibeena Ghosh/28th July 2024
A devastating rocket attack on a village in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights on Saturday resulted in the deaths of at least 12 people, including children, according to Israeli officials. This attack has heightened fears of a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, the militant group based in Lebanon.
Israel reported that approximately 30 projectiles crossed into its territory from Lebanon in what it described as the deadliest assault since October 7. The Israeli government has blamed Hezbollah, which is supported by Iran, for the barrage. However, while Hezbollah has admitted to targeting other areas in the Golan Heights, it has firmly denied involvement in the deadly strike on the village.
In response to the attack, Israeli warplanes launched airstrikes targeting Hezbollah positions deep within Lebanese territory, including southern Lebanon. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that these strikes hit various Hezbollah targets, including weapons caches and terrorist infrastructure.
The incident in the Golan Heights risks a significant escalation along the Israeli-Lebanese border. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office vowed that Hezbollah would “pay a heavy price” for the attack. This attack is part of an ongoing exchange of fire between Israel and Hezbollah that has intensified over the past 10 months. Regional leaders had already warned that the conflict was reaching a critical point even before Saturday’s events.
Among the victims of the attack were 12 people killed and at least 29 others injured in Majdal Shams, a village with a substantial Druze community. The Golan Heights, seized by Israel from Syria in 1967 and annexed in 1981, is considered occupied territory under international law and United Nations Security Council resolutions. The region is home to approximately 20,000 Druze Arabs and 50,000 Israeli Jewish settlers. Most of the Druze population identifies as Syrian and has rejected offers of Israeli citizenship.
IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari confirmed that the rocket hit a soccer field where children and teenagers were playing, describing the incident as the deadliest attack on Israeli civilians since October 7. He identified the rocket as a “Falaq 1 Iranian rocket carrying a 50kg warhead,” a model exclusively possessed by Hezbollah. Hagari stated that this rocket caused the deaths of 12 young boys and girls.
Following the attack, Prime Minister Netanyahu cut short his visit to the United States and returned to Israel to convene a security cabinet meeting. He expressed his shock at the attack and vowed that Israel would not remain silent or delay its response. On Sunday, Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant visited Majdal Shams, conveying the nation’s and the army’s condolences to the local leaders and promising that Hezbollah would pay for their actions.
Witnesses in Majdal Shams recounted the horrifying moments following the attack. Adeeb Safadi, a resident of the village, reported that the victims on the soccer field were all Druze children between the ages of eight and 15 attending a football training class. Another resident, Taymor Wili, described the immediate aftermath of the strike, highlighting the devastation and the lack of time for the children to react to the warning alarm.
Israel’s Magen David Adom (MDA) emergency service confirmed that the fatalities included teenagers and young adults, with ages ranging from 10 to 20 years old. The service reported that 29 people were injured, six of whom were in serious condition. Ziv Medical Center in Safed received 26 injured individuals, five of whom were admitted to the trauma center. Israeli police are securing the area and searching for additional remnants to prevent further risk to the public.
This attack marks a significant escalation in the already volatile border area between Lebanon and Israel. Both countries have been in a state of war for decades, and recent tensions have increased, with both Hezbollah and Israel targeting sites deeper into each other’s territories. The international community continues to monitor the situation closely, hoping for restraint and a de-escalation of hostilities.
