Israelis demand tough response after 12 children killed in Hezbollah attack

A Hezbollah rocket attack in Majdal Shams killed 12 young Israelis, most of them children. Prime Minister Netanyahu threatened severe retaliation and canceled his trip to the United States. Druze and Lebanese leaders condemned the attack and called for calm and a ceasefire.

A devastating Hezbollah rocket attack on a soccer field in the northern Druze town of Majdal Shams on Saturday killed at least 12 young Israelis, most of them children and teenagers, and injured dozens more. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that the victims, aged between 10 and 20, were surprised by the rocket attack despite a brief warning siren.

The local hospitals were overwhelmed by the influx of injured. The Ziv Medical Center in Safed treated the majority of the injured. Photos and videos showed the plight of the community. Parents desperately searched for their children among the injured scattered across the soccer field.

The names of eleven of the twelve children killed in the attack were published by Arab and Hebrew media:

• Alma Ayman Fakher Eldin, 11
• Milad Muadad Alsha’ar, 10
• Vinees Adham Alsafadi, 11
• Iseel Nasha’at Ayoub, 12
• Yazan Nayeif Abu Saleh, 12
• Johnny Wadeea Ibrahim, 13
• Ameer Rabeea Abu Saleh, 16
• Naji Taher Alhalabi, 11
• Fajer Laith Abu Saleh, 16
• Hazem Akram Abu Saleh, 15
• Nathem Fakher Saeb, 16

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who cut short his visit to the United States, signaled an imminent escalation as Israeli politicians from all political camps called for decisive action against Hezbollah. According to Netanyahu’s office, in a phone call with the spiritual leader of Israel’s Druze community, Sheikh Muafak Tarif, the prime minister “made it clear that Israel will not simply accept the murderous attack and that Hezbollah will pay a high price for it that it has not yet paid.”

Tarif expressed in a statement his deep shock and pain at the attack, which he described as a “horrific massacre.” He criticized the ongoing security failures that have led to repeated harm in northern communities, and described this event as a catastrophic escalation that has crossed every imaginable line. He said: “An orderly state cannot allow continued harm to be done to its citizens and residents. This has been the ongoing reality in northern communities for nine months. Tonight, all possible red and black lines have been crossed.”

A view of the damage near the soccer field after a rocket attack on the town of Majdal Shams in the northern Golan Heights, Israel, July 27, 2024. (Samir Abdalhade/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Lebanese politician Walid Jumblatt expressed his deep sadness over the incident. He stressed that attacks on civilians are unacceptable and called on all parties to resist provocations that further the enemy’s goals. Jumblatt called for a ceasefire and stressed the importance of unity in the face of Israeli actions in the region. He added: “Attacks on civilians are unacceptable and are condemned, whether in occupied Palestine, the occupied Golan Heights or southern Lebanon.”

“The history and current actions of the Israeli enemy are full of incessant massacres of civilians. We call on everyone in Lebanon, Palestine and the Golan Heights to avoid provocations that serve the enemy’s destructive agenda.”

Hezbollah’s initial claim that it had attacked a nearby military base with Katyusha rockets and a Falaq rocket, followed by a denial of any involvement in the civilian deaths, was met with skepticism by Israeli officials and was flatly rejected by them. Israel Defense Forces spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari identified the rocket as an Iranian-made Falaq-1 during a late-night press conference and pointed out that it was used exclusively by Hezbollah. According to Hagari, “Hezbollah has been lying for the last hour and denying responsibility for the incident. Our intelligence is clear: Hezbollah is responsible for the murder of innocent children.”

In response, Israel’s defense apparatus is actively planning retaliatory measures. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has drawn up possible strategies to confront Hezbollah after consulting with top military and intelligence leaders. Israel’s security cabinet is expected to meet to finalize those plans, with Netanyahu and other senior officials promising a “tough response.” A senior Biden administration official raised concerns to Axios, saying Saturday’s attack could be the “trigger” for a broader conflict that has been feared for months.