Israel’s Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, expressed grave concern on Saturday, stating that Israel is now on the brink of a full-scale conflict following a rocket launched by Hezbollah that tragically claimed the lives of twelve individuals, including children, in the Israeli Druze Arab village of Majdal Shams.
Children between the ages of ten and twelve were engaged in a soccer match when the rocket struck the field. An eyewitness, speaking to Israel’s Channel 13, mentioned that the warning siren went off only after the impact had already occurred. Initially, The Times of Israel reported six fatalities and 30 injuries from the rocket strike, while Israel’s channel 12 reported nine deaths. The casualty count continued to rise as the night progressed.
Horrific: parents in Majdal Shams are looking for their children following a deadly Hezbollah rocket attack during a soccer game.
You can hear one woman shout out in Arabic “They are all children!”
No words. pic.twitter.com/cILszJHF8w
— Israel ישראל (@Israel) July 27, 2024
The Times of Israel reported:
“There is no doubt that Hezbollah crossed all red lines,” Katz tells Channel 12 news. “We are facing an all-out war. I have no doubt that we’ll pay a cost,” he adds, but insists Israel will exact an even higher cost from Hezbollah.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, currently in the U.S. on a visit, received a briefing on the attack. He decided to shorten his trip and return to Israel, making an exception to the Jewish Sabbath due to the urgency of the situation.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said:
“From the analysis of the IDF’s operational systems, the rocket launch at the center of Majdal Shams was carried out from an area located north of the village of Chebaa in southern Lebanon. According to reliable intelligence information in the possession of the IDF, Hezbollah is behind the attack.”
