Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant pledged to “hit the enemy hard” on Sunday following a rocket attack from Lebanon that killed 12 young people in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights.... CLICK TO READ THE FULL NEWS HERE▶▶
The incident has heightened concerns about the potential spread of the Gaza conflict.
Iran cautioned Israel against new military “adventures” in Lebanon, warning of “unforeseen consequences.” Western powers, including France and Germany, condemned the attack and urged for calm.
The European Union has called for an independent investigation into the incident.
The Israeli military described the attack as “the deadliest on Israeli civilians” since the October 7 start of the Gaza war, which has led to frequent exchanges of fire across the Lebanese border.
Israel has attributed the rocket fire to Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement, which has denied involvement but admitted to targeting an Israeli military position on Saturday.
The attack, which struck a football pitch in the Druze town of Majdal Shams, led Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to cut his visit to the United States short and return immediately for a security cabinet meeting.
Netanyahu warned that “Hezbollah will pay a heavy price” for the attack, emphasizing that the group has “crossed all red lines.”
The Israeli military has since retaliated, targeting Hezbollah positions “deep inside Lebanese territory and in southern Lebanon.” An Israeli drone strike on Taraiyya village destroyed a building and a home, though no casualties were reported.
Hezbollah has claimed its rocket fire was in support of Hamas fighters in Gaza.
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The October 7 attack by Hamas resulted in the deaths of 1,197 people in Israel and the capture of 251 hostages, with 111 still held captive.
The conflict has claimed over 39,000 lives in Gaza, according to Hamas-run health ministry figures, which do not specify civilian versus militant casualties.
The Golan Heights attack killed young people aged 10 to 16, and Israeli police reported that an 11-year-old boy remains missing.
The town’s streets were filled with mourners during a tearful funeral ceremony.
Riad Kahwaji of the Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis suggested that the rocket’s impact location might be within the margin of error for such imprecise weapons, calling for an independent investigation.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed indications that Hezbollah was behind the strike, while EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell condemned the “bloodbath” and reiterated calls for an independent international investigation.
The UN has urged “maximum restraint” to prevent a broader regional conflict, and the U.S. National Security Council and Germany also condemned the attack, calling for calm.
Lebanon’s government has called for an immediate cessation of hostilities.
The violence, which has spiked following an Israeli strike that killed four Hezbollah fighters, has already resulted in significant casualties on both sides.
In addition to the 527 people killed in Lebanon, Israel reports 22 soldiers and 24 civilians dead in northern Israel.
As efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza continue, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has emphasized the need to protect the northern border, while Hezbollah’s chief Hassan Nasrallah has indicated that his group would cease cross-border attacks if a Gaza ceasefire is achieved.
Diplomatic efforts to resolve the Gaza conflict remain ongoing.
