Israeli-Occupied Golan Heights Attacked by Hezbollah
12 Dead Including Children, At Least 20 Injured
"Hezbollah's Deadliest Attack Since October Last Year"
Israel Vows "Immediate Retaliation"... Fears of Full-Scale War
US, Europe and Western Allies Urge Restraint Toward Israel
A rocket from the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah fell on a soccer field in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, escalating the situation between Israel and Hezbollah toward the brink of full-scale war. While Western countries have pointed to Hezbollah as responsible for the rocket attack that killed 12 people, including children, they have also called for restraint from Israel.
Attack on Golan Heights Soccer Field Escalates Toward Full-Scale War
According to foreign media including The New York Times (NYT) on the 28th (local time), Israel is expected to respond strongly to Hezbollah following a security cabinet meeting scheduled for 6 p.m. that day. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned early from the United States that afternoon.
After a rocket fell on a soccer field in the Golan Heights the previous day, killing 12 people including children and injuring at least 20, the Israeli military identified Hezbollah as the perpetrator of the attack, and struck Hezbollah’s weapons storage facilities in several Lebanese villages including Chabriha, Borj el-Khemali, and the Bekaa Valley.
Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi visited the Golan Heights that day and stated, "Investigation of rocket debris on the soccer field wall confirmed it was a Hezbollah Falaq rocket equipped with a 53 kg warhead." The Israeli Foreign Ministry said in a statement that "Hezbollah has crossed all red lines," and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant warned, "Hezbollah will pay the price."
The Golan Heights is territory Israel occupied from Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War. Israel annexed the area in 1981 through the Golan Heights Law, but the international community has not recognized it as Israeli territory. The Golan Heights has been a flashpoint for frequent armed clashes between Israel, which claims sovereignty, and Lebanon and Syria, which do not recognize Israel’s claim.
Since the outbreak of the Gaza Strip war in October last year, Israel has clashed daily with Hezbollah along the Lebanese border. According to the Associated Press, over 450 people have died on the Lebanese side, including 90 civilians, and at least 45 on the Israeli side, including 21 soldiers.
NYT: "Deadliest Attack by Hezbollah on Israel Since October Last Year"
The NYT described Hezbollah’s attack on the Golan Heights soccer field as "the deadliest airstrike Hezbollah has carried out against Israel since the Gaza Strip war."
Because Israel is particularly sensitive to casualties among its citizens caused by Islamist militant groups, there are growing expectations that the two sides are on the verge of full-scale war.
Iran, a supporter of Hezbollah, denied involvement in the attack. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani warned that Israel is trying to divert global attention from its large-scale crimes in the Gaza Strip by blaming Hezbollah, and said, "They will have to bear responsibility for the unforeseen consequences of their foolish adventure."
However, within Israel, there is also growing caution about opening a second front while still at war with the Palestinian militant group Hamas. This is due to the fact that after nine months of ongoing conflict, Israel’s military supplies are not as plentiful as before.
West Urges Israel to Exercise Restraint
As the situation worsened, Western countries including the United States and Europe maintained a critical stance toward Hezbollah while urging Israel to exercise restraint.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, speaking to reporters in Tokyo, Japan, said, "We support Israel’s right to protect its citizens from terrorist attacks," but also "(the U.S.) is in communication with the Israeli government and does not want this conflict to escalate or spread." Josep Borrell, the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, called for an independent international investigation into the attack the previous afternoon, while emphasizing that "all parties must exercise maximum restraint to avoid escalation." Germany, France, and the United Kingdom also called on Israel to refrain from expanding the conflict. Russia stated that it cannot tolerate terrorism by Hezbollah and others but also cannot accept Israel’s violations of international humanitarian law.
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