news

Israeli authorities said a rocket hit a football field in the Golan Heights on Saturday, July 27 local time, killing at least 11 children and teenagers.

This is the attack with the heaviest casualties among Israeli civilians since the outbreak of fighting between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. A war is about to break out!

Israel blamed Hezbollah for the attack in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights, but Hezbollah quickly denied any involvement.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Hezbollah "will pay a heavy price for this attack."

Israel's military chief spokesman, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, called it the deadliest attack on Israeli civilians since a Hamas attack on Oct. 7 sparked the Gaza war. He said 20 other people were wounded.

The attack, which took place before sunset, also took place on Saturday in an Israeli cross-border raid, in which Hezbollah said three of its fighters were killed, without specifying where.

The Israeli military said its air force attacked a Hezbollah arms depot in the border village of Kfar Kila, adding that militants were inside at the time.

Netanyahu's office, who is visiting the United States, said he would cut his trip short by a few hours but did not say when he would return, saying he would convene the security cabinet upon arrival.

The video showed paramedics rushing a stretcher from the football field to a waiting ambulance.

Resident Haile Mahmoud said children were playing football when the rocket hit the court. He said they heard sirens seconds before the rocket hit, but there was no time to take shelter.

Cihan Sifadi, the principal of a primary school, said five students were among the dead: "The situation here is very difficult. Parents are crying, people are screaming outside. No one can accept what happened."

The Israeli military said its analysis showed the rocket was fired from an area north of the village of Chebaa in southern Lebanon.

The White House National Security Council said in a statement that the United States "will continue to support Israel's efforts to end these horrific attacks along the Blue Line, which must be a priority. Our support for Israel's security is unwavering and our opposition to all Iranian-backed terrorist groups, including Hezbollah in Lebanon."

The Israeli military said Majdal Shams was not among the border communities ordered to be evacuated as tensions escalated, but did not say why. The town is not directly on the Lebanese border.

According to public data, Israel's air strikes in Lebanon have killed more than 450 people since the beginning of October, including at least 90 civilians and non-combatants. There have been 44 deaths on the Israeli side, including at least 21 soldiers.

Foreign Minister Israel Katz said: "We are facing a total war."

Israeli President Isaac Herzog called the incident a "horrible and shocking disaster" and said the "State of Israel will steadfastly defend its citizens and sovereignty."

The United States and the European Union also condemned the attack.

UN envoy Thor Wennesland condemned the incident and called on all parties to exercise restraint.

"The Middle East is on the brink of crisis; the world and the region cannot afford another open conflict," he wrote on X.

In a rare move, Hezbollah’s chief spokesman, Mohammad Afif, “categorically denied carrying out the attack on Majdal Shams.”

Hezbollah rarely denies carrying out such attacks, making this one highly unusual.

Hezbollah said its fighters carried out 10 different attacks on Israeli military posts using rockets and explosive drones, the last of which targeted the Haramoun Brigade army headquarters in Maaleh Golani with Katyusha rockets.

Hezbollah said in a separate statement that it had hit the same military post with a short-range Falaq rocket.

Hezbollah said the attacks were a response to Israeli air strikes on villages in southern Lebanon.

Israel captured the town from Syria in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed it in 1981.

Most Druze live in the Golan Heights, Lebanon and Syria. In Israel, they have full citizenship rights and make up about 1.5 percent of the population.

They were offered Israeli citizenship when the Golan Heights were annexed from Syria in 1981, but only a few accepted;Most remain loyal to Syria.

Druze in the Golan can still study and work in Israel, but only those with citizenship can vote and must serve in the military.

The Druze are the largest non-Jewish group in the IDF.

The vast majority of countries in the international community do not recognize Israel's annexation of the Golan Heights.