A devastating rocket attack by Hezbollah on a soccer field in the northern Druze town of Majdal Shams resulted in the death of at least 12 young Israelis, mostly children and teenagers, and injured dozens more on Saturday. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that the victims, aged between 10 and 20 years, were caught off-guard by the rocket strike despite a brief warning siren.
Local hospitals were overwhelmed with the influx of wounded, with Ziv Medical Center in Safed treating a significant number of the injured. Photos and videos showed the community in distress, with parents frantically searching for their children among the casualties strewn across the soccer field.
The names of eleven of the twelve children killed in the attack were released by Arabic 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, cutting his visit to the US short, signaled an imminent escalation in response, as Israeli officials, across all political spectrums, demanded decisive action against Hezbollah. According to Netanyahu’s office, the prime minister “made clear that Israel will not allow the murderous attack to simply pass on by and that Hezbollah will pay a heavy price for this that it has not paid until this point” during a call to the spiritual leader of Israel’s Druze community, Sheikh Muafak Tarif.
Tarif, in a statement, voiced immense shock and pain from the attack, which he described as a “horrific massacre.” He criticized the ongoing security failures that have led to repeated harm to the northern communities, marking this event as a disastrous escalation that crossed every conceivable line, saying, “A proper state cannot allow continuous harm to its citizens and residents. This has been the ongoing reality in the northern communities for the past nine months. Tonight, it crossed every possible red and black line.”
A view of the damage near the soccer field after a missile attack on the town of Majdal Shams in the northern Golan Heights, Israel, on July 27, 2024. (Samir Abdalhade/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Meanwhile, Lebanese political leader Walid Jumblatt expressed deep sorrow over the incident, emphasizing the unacceptable nature of targeting civilians and urging all parties to resist provocations that further the enemy’s agenda. Jumblatt called for a cease-fire and stressed the importance of unity against Israeli actions in the region, adding, “The targeting of civilians is unacceptable and condemned, whether in occupied Palestine, the occupied Golan Heights, or southern Lebanon.”
“The history and present actions of the Israeli enemy are filled with massacres committed against civilians without respite. We call upon everyone in Lebanon, Palestine, and the Golan Heights to avoid slipping into provocations that serve the enemy’s destructive agenda.”
Hezbollah’s initial claim of targeting a nearby military base with Katyusha rockets and a Falaq rocket, followed by a denial of involvement in the civilian deaths, was met with skepticism and outright rejection by Israeli officials. IDF Spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, during a late-night press conference, identified the rocket as an Iranian-made Falaq-1, noting its exclusive use by Hezbollah. According to Hagari, “In the past hour, Hezbollah has been lying and denying responsibility for the incident. Our intelligence is clear: Hezbollah is responsible for the murder of innocent children.”
In response, Israel’s defense establishment has been actively planning retaliation. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, after consulting with top military and intelligence leaders, has laid out potential strategies to confront Hezbollah. The Israeli security cabinet is expected to convene to finalize these plans, with Netanyahu and other senior officials promising a “severe response.” A senior Biden Administration official voiced concerns to Axios, stating that Saturday’s attack could be the “trigger” for a broader conflict that has been feared for months.