Deadly rocket attack escalates Israel-Hezbollah tensions

JERUSALEM:

A rocket attack on a soccer field in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights killed 12 people, including children, on Saturday. Israeli authorities blamed Hezbollah and vowed to retaliate against the Iranian-backed Lebanese group.

Hezbollah denied responsibility for the strike, which was the deadliest in Israel or Israeli-controlled territory since the Gaza conflict began. The attack escalated tensions, sparking fears of a full-scale conflict between the heavily armed rivals.

The missile hit a soccer field in the Druze village of Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights, territory Israel seized from Syria in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed in a move not recognized by most countries.

“Hezbollah will pay a heavy price, as it has not paid so far,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during a conversation with the leader of Israel’s Druze community, according to a statement from his office.

In a written statement, Hezbollah said, “The Islamic Resistance has absolutely nothing to do with the incident and categorically denies all false allegations about it.”

The Israeli Ambulance Service said 13 other people were injured by the rocket that hit the soccer field, which at the time was full of children and teenagers.

“They were playing football, heard sirens and ran for shelter. It took 15 seconds, but they didn’t make it to the shelter before the rocket hit,” said Murhaf Abu Saleh, a witness.

Footage posted on social media showed the moment of impact, with an air raid siren followed by an explosion and smoke. Reuters verified the location using satellite imagery.

First responders described the scene as a major disaster. “There were casualties on the grass and the scene was horrific,” said Idan Avshalom, a doctor at the Magen David Adom Ambulance Service.

Netanyahu, returning from the United States, convened his security office upon his arrival in Israel. The United States condemned the attack as horrific and reaffirmed its unwavering support for Israel against Iranian-backed terrorist groups, including Hezbollah.

The Israeli military said the rocket was fired near the village of Chebaa in southern Lebanon. Military spokesman Vice Admiral Daniel Hagari identified the missile as an Iranian-made Falaq-1. Hezbollah had earlier claimed to have fired a Falaq-1 missile at an Israeli military headquarters.

Despite the escalation, Hagari said there have been no changes to Home Front Command directives, indicating there is no immediate expectation of further escalation across Israel.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, an ally of the far-right coalition, called for a tough response, including targeting Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. “For the death of the children, Nasrallah should pay with his head. All of Lebanon should pay,” Smotrich wrote in X.

The conflict has displaced tens of thousands in both Lebanon and Israel. Israeli strikes have killed around 350 Hezbollah fighters and more than 100 civilians, including doctors, children and journalists. The Israeli military said civilian casualties from Hezbollah attacks rose to 23 since October, along with 17 soldiers.

More than 40,000 people live in the Israeli-occupied Golan, more than half of whom are Druze.