Israel Defense Forces Blamed Deadly Attack on Soccer Field Packed with Children on Hezbollah
Israeli Victims of Hezbollah Rocket Attack Rushed to Hospital
A Hezbollah rocket attack killed and injured at least 10 people, including children, in northern Israel, the Israeli Defense Forces said Saturday. (Rambam Medical Centre)
JERUSALEM – The Iran-backed terrorist movement Hezbollah rained down rockets on Israel on Saturday, with at least one devastating strike on a soccer field where children were enjoying a game. This tragic incident happened in the northern Israeli town of Majdal Shams, near the Syrian border. Twelve people have been reported dead, and around 29 others injured, mostly aged between 10 and 20.
The soccer field in this largely Druze town was thrown into panic and despair, marking the most severe loss of life in the region since Hezbollah joined the war supporting Hamas on October 7.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) quickly pointed the finger at Hezbollah. In their statement, the IDF conveyed, “According to an IDF situational assessment and the intelligence in our possession, the rocket launch toward Majdal Shams was carried out by the Hezbollah terrorist organization. The Hezbollah terrorist organization is behind the rocket launch at a soccer field in Majdal Shams which caused multiple civilian casualties, including children earlier this evening.”
Israeli security forces and medics transport casualties along with local residents, at a site where a reported strike from Lebanon fell in Majdal Shams village in Israel on July 27, 2024. (Photo by Jalaa MAREY / AFP) (Photo by JALAA MAREY/AFP via Getty Images) (ALAA MAREY/AFP via Getty Images)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was still in the U.S. during the attack, was kept informed and conducted situational assessments, as per a political source.
A statement from Netanyahu’s office quoted by TPS News Agency indicated that he had discussions with Sheikh Muafek Tarif, the spiritual leader of Israel’s Druze population. Netanyahu affirmed that Israel would not allow this “murderous attack” to go unpunished, ensuring that Hezbollah would face significant repercussions.
Sheikh Tarif, in the same TPS report, described the attack as “cruel and murderous.” Netanyahu is expected to convene with his security cabinet upon his return to Israel.
The scene of a deadly Hezbollah rocket strike on a soccer field in the Israeli Druze village of Majdal Shams on July 28, 2024. The strike killed 12 and injured more than 30, with most of the casualties between the ages of 10-20. (Erez Ben Simon/TPS-IL)
Israel’s Minister of Defense, Yoav Gallant, together with the IDF’s Chief of the General Staff, LTG Herzi Halevi, was conducting a situational assessment on the attack.
The IDF reported identifying around 30 projectiles entering Israel from Lebanon on Saturday. Hezbollah, a U.S.-designated terrorist group, effectively rules Lebanon.
Israeli security forces and medics transport casualties from a site where a reported strike from Lebanon fell in Majdal Shams village in Israel on July 27, 2024. (JALAA MAREY/AFP via Getty Images)
On Israeli TV, Foreign Minister Israel Katz indicated that the country is nearing an all-out war with Hezbollah. He vowed a strong response to the recent attacks.
Earlier this month, Yakkov Amidror, former national security adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, discussed with Fox News Digital the looming risk of a full-scale war between Israel and Hezbollah.
Saturday evening, the Biden White House issued a statement condemning the attack and expressing condolences to the victims’ families. The administration reaffirmed its unwavering support for Israel’s security amidst these threats.
Jason Brodsky, an expert on Iran and its proxies, shared insights with Fox News Digital. He mentioned that Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, has recently hinted at targeting new areas within Israel. Brodsky suggested that the attack on Majdal Shams might be what Nasrallah had in mind, particularly targeting a Druze town, possibly believing it wouldn’t provoke severe retaliation.
The Druze have lived in northern Israel for over a thousand years, with significant communities also in Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan.
People stand by damaged bicycles at a site where a reported strike from Lebanon fell in Majdal Shams village in Israel on July 27, 2024. (Photo by JALAA MAREY/AFP via Getty Images)
Brodsky, who is the policy director of United Against a Nuclear Iran, added that this attack may have been a misjudgment by Hezbollah, as the high number of civilian casualties, including children, could change the conflict’s dynamics in the north. He noted that Hezbollah might have assumed the US would limit Israeli actions in Lebanon, but this de-escalation approach might have led to the opposite effect.
Israel has had two previous wars with Hezbollah (in 1982 and 2006). The IDF reports that it has killed approximately 500 terrorists in Lebanon since the start of the conflict with Hamas and that around 5000 projectiles have been fired into Israel.
