Ten Israeli youths killed in attack on Hezbollah football field

IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari confirmed on Saturday that at least 10 Israelis were killed and 20 others were injured when a rocket attack hit a soccer field in Majdal Shams in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights. All of those killed are between 10 and 20 years old.

“We share the grief of the families of the victims and are united with the entire Druze community during this difficult time. We wish the injured strength and a speedy recovery,” Hagari said.

“When the incident was first investigated, an alert was raised, but it was an immediate alert that was too short,” he continued. “At the moment, after the IAF’s investigation, it appears that this was a single missile. We are now investigating this in detail and will make the details transparently available to the public.”

Hagari blamed Hezbollah for the attack, although it has denied any involvement in the tragedy. Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran, is based in Lebanon. Shortly after Hamas’s October 7 attack in Israel, Hezbollah began firing rockets and missiles into northern Israel. The two sides continue to engage in cross-border firefights, with the potential for all-out war seen as an ongoing and escalating possibility.

“For the last hour, Hezbollah has lied and denied responsibility for the incident. Our intelligence is clear: Hezbollah is responsible for the killing of innocent children. Ten-year-old children. And once again, Hezbollah’s brutality has been exposed as a terrorist organization. This is a very serious incident and we will act accordingly. The Israel Defense Forces will do everything to protect the citizens of the State of Israel,” Hagari said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was in the United States this week to make his case and rally support amid the war against Hamas, said Hezbollah would “pay a heavy price for this attack that it has not yet paid,” according to his office.

The White House National Security Council also spoke out against the attack and stated in a statement to the Washington Examiner: “We condemn this gruesome attack in which several teenagers and children were reportedly killed while playing football in the village of Majdal Shams in northern Israel on a Saturday night. Our condolences go out to the families of those who lost loved ones today and we pray for a speedy recovery for those injured.”

“Israel continues to face serious threats to its security, as the world saw today, and the United States will continue to support efforts to end these horrific attacks along the Blue Line, which must be a top priority. Our support for Israel’s security is rock solid and unwavering against all Iranian-backed terrorist groups, including Lebanon’s Hezbollah,” the statement continued.

This attack is the deadliest in this northern territory since fighting began and is fuelling fears of escalation.

“What happened today could be the trigger we have been worried about and trying to avoid for 10 months,” a US official told Axios.

Hezbollah is believed to have a larger and more sophisticated arsenal of weapons than Hamas, and an open war would likely result in heavy casualties and damage on both sides.

“Hezbollah’s provocations threaten to drag the Israeli and Lebanese people into a war they do not want. Such a war would be a disaster for Lebanon and would have devastating consequences for innocent Israeli and Lebanese civilians,” Austin said. “Another war between Israel and Hezbollah could easily become a regional war with terrible consequences for the Middle East. Therefore, diplomacy is by far the best way to prevent further escalation.”

The last war between Israel and Hezbollah lasted about a month in 2006. Hezbollah is currently violating the UN Security Council resolution that ended the war, which prohibits Hezbollah from maintaining its presence south of the Litani River, which lies about 30 kilometers north of the Israeli-Lebanese border.

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The Golan Heights region has been under Israeli control since the war with Syria in 1967. It is home to around 20,000 Druze Arabs.

This is a breaking news story and may be updated. Mike Brest contributed to this reporting.