IDF identifies 11 children killed by Hezbollah rockets at Israeli playground

The Israeli military on Sunday identified 11 of the 12 children killed by Hezbollah rockets that hit a soccer field at a playground in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights – as thousands gathered for the funerals of the slain children.

Israel Defense Forces identified the victims as Millar Maadad al-Shaar, 10; Alma Ayman Fakhr al-Din, 11; Naji Taher Halabi, 11; Yazan Naif Abu Salah, 12; Izil Nashat Ayoub, 12; Finis Adham Safadi, 12; John Wadie Ibrahim, 13; Hazem Akram Abu Salah, 15; Fajr Laith Abu Salah, 16; Amir Rabi Abu Salah, 16, and Nazem Fakher Saeb.

Mourners flocked to the town of Majdal Shams for the funeral of ten of the children. Thousands sobbed and collapsed at the coffins of the young victims.

In addition to the children killed, another 40 people were injured in Saturday’s rocket attack. It was the deadliest attack on the Jewish state since the October 7 massacre that sparked the war in the Gaza Strip.

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid was among the politicians at the funeral who condemned the attack and announced retaliation against Hezbollah for crossing “all red lines”.

“The children who died on that soccer field could have been any of our children, and in that sense they are indeed all our children,” he said, according to the Times of Israel.

“The state’s job is to give children security. Children must not die in the wars of adults,” he said. “The state has failed, the government has failed. We apologize to the families.”

“The reaction (to the attack) will be fierce and will reverberate throughout the Middle East. We will not simply accept this,” Lapid said.

Lapid’s warning was similar to that of the Israeli Foreign Ministry, which described Saturday’s attack as a massacre.

“This is not an army fighting another army, but rather a terrorist organization that deliberately targets civilians,” the ministry said in a statement.

The attack occurred as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was wrapping up his visit to Washington DC and boarding an earlier flight to rush home.

The Prime Minister promised that Israel “will not accept this in silence.”

Following the warning from Israeli leadership, Israeli forces attacked several Hezbollah targets deep in southern Lebanon.

The Israeli military said it had hit several weapons depots and terrorist infrastructure belonging to Iran-backed terrorists. Some critics said the retaliatory attack was too mild considering Saturday’s massacre.

Hezbollah denies allegations that the group fired rockets into the Golan Heights on Saturday.

With post wires