Deadly rocket attack escalates Israel-Hezbollah tensions

Rocket strike in Golan Heights results in 12 deaths; Netanyahu promises heavy price for Hezbollah

JERUSALEM:

A rocket attack on a football ground in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights killed 12 people, including children, on Saturday. Israeli authorities blamed Hezbollah and vowed to retaliate against the Iran-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, raising fears of a full-blown conflict between the heavily armed adversaries.

The rocket struck a football pitch in the Druze village of Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights, territory captured by Israel from Syria in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed in a move not recognised by most countries.

"Hezbollah will pay a heavy price, the kind it has thus far not paid," said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a call with the leader of the Druze community in Israel, 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 in this regard."

The Israeli ambulance service reported that 13 more people were wounded by the rocket that hit the football pitch, which was filled with children and teenagers at the time.

"They were playing football, heard sirens, and ran to shelter. It took them 15 seconds, but they couldn't reach the shelter before the rocket hit," said Mourhaf Abu Saleh, a witness.

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

First responders described the scene as one of great destruction. "There were casualties on the grass, and the scene was gruesome," said Idan Avshalom, a medic with the Magen David Adom ambulance service.

Netanyahu, returning from the United States, convened his security cabinet upon 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 launched from near the village of Chebaa in southern Lebanon. Military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari identified the rocket as an Iranian-made Falaq-1. Hezbollah had earlier claimed to have fired a Falaq-1 missile targeting an Israeli military headquarters.

Despite the escalation, Hagari stated there were no changes in Home Front Command instructions, indicating no immediate expectation of further escalation across Israel.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a far-right coalition ally, called for a tough response, including targeting Hezbollah's leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. "For the death of children, Nasrallah should pay with his head. All of Lebanon should pay," Smotrich posted on X.

The conflict has displaced tens of thousands in both Lebanon and Israel. Israeli strikes have killed around 350 Hezbollah fighters and over 100 civilians, including medics, children, and journalists. The Israeli military reported that civilian casualties from Hezbollah attacks had risen to 23 since October, along with 17 soldiers.

More than 40,000 people live in the Israeli-occupied Golan, over half of them Druze residents.