By Avi Ohayon
MAJDAL SHAMS, Golan Heights (Reuters) -Hundreds of mourners attended funeral ceremonies on Sunday for the 12 youngsters and youngsters killed by a rocket strike within the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights as Israel vowed swift retaliation in opposition to the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon.
Hezbollah denied accountability for the assault on Majdal Shams, the deadliest in Israel or Israeli-annexed territory since Palestinian militant group Hamas’ Oct. 7 assault sparked the battle in Gaza. That battle has unfold to a number of fronts and now dangers spilling right into a wider regional battle.
Israeli jets hit targets in southern Lebanon in a single day however a stronger response was anticipated following a gathering of the safety cupboard at 6 p.m. (1500 GMT). Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned from a go to to the USA.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken mentioned there was each indication that the rocket, which hit a sports activities subject the place youngsters had been enjoying soccer, had been fired by Hezbollah and mentioned Washington stood by Israel’s proper to defend itself.
However he mentioned the U.S. didn’t desire a additional escalation of the battle, which has seen every day exchanges of fireside between the Israeli army and Hezbollah alongside the border.
Britain expressed concern at additional escalation whereas Egypt mentioned the assault may spill “right into a complete regional battle.”
On the bottom, households gathered for funerals within the Druze village of Majdal Shams within the Golan Heights, territory captured from Syria by Israel within the 1967 Center East battle and annexed in a transfer not recognised by most international locations.
Members of the Druze religion, which is said to Islam, Christianity and Judaism, make up greater than half the 40,000-strong inhabitants of the Golan Heights. Massive crowds of mourners, many in conventional excessive white and crimson Druze headwear, surrounded the caskets as they had been carried by means of the village.
“A heavy tragedy, a darkish day has come to Majdal Shams,” mentioned Dolan Abu Saleh, head of the Majdal Shams native council, in feedback broadcast on Israeli tv.
Hezbollah initially had introduced it fired rockets at Israeli army websites within the Golan Heights, however mentioned it had “completely nothing” to do with the assault on Majdal Shams.
ISRAEL BLAMES HEZBOLLAH
Nonetheless, Israel mentioned the rocket was an Iranian-made missile fired from an space north of the village of Chebaa in southern Lebanon, putting the blame squarely on the Iranian-backed group and saying Hezbollah was “unequivocally accountable”.
It was not instantly clear if the youngsters and youngsters killed within the strike had been Israeli residents, however Israeli officers have vowed retaliation.
“The rocket that murdered our girls and boys was an Iranian rocket and Hezbollah is the one terror group which has these in its arsenal,” Israel’s overseas ministry mentioned.
Two safety sources instructed Reuters Hezbollah was on excessive alert and had cleared out some key websites in each Lebanon’s south and the jap Bekaa Valley in case of an Israeli assault.
Lebanon’s Center East Airways mentioned it was delaying the arrival of some flights from Sunday night time to Monday morning, with out stating why.
Within the southern port metropolis of Tyre, slightly over 20 km (12 miles) from the border, beachgoers had been nonetheless streaming to the coast. “There’s concern that Israel will react, however individuals are residing their life usually,” mentioned Ali Husseini, supervisor of a beachside enterprise in Tyr.
Israeli forces have been exchanging fireplace for months with Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon however either side have seemed to be avoiding an escalation that would result in all-out battle, probably dragging in different powers together with the USA and Iran.
Nonetheless, Saturday’s strike threatened to tip the standoff right into a extra harmful part. United Nations officers urged most restraint from either side, warning that escalation may “engulf the complete area in a disaster past perception.”
Lebanon has requested the usto urge restraint from Israel, Lebanon’s overseas minister Abdallah Bou Habib instructed Reuters. Bou Habib mentioned the U.S. had requested Lebanon’s authorities to move on a message to Hezbollah to indicate restraint as nicely.
ALL-OUT WAR FEARED
Iran’s overseas ministry warned Israel on Sunday in opposition to what it known as any new journey in Lebanon.
Syria’s overseas ministry mentioned it held Israel “absolutely chargeable for this harmful escalation within the area” and mentioned its accusations in opposition to Hezbollah had been false.
Two diplomats targeted on Lebanon mentioned all efforts had been now wanted to keep away from an all-out battle.
The battle has pressured tens of hundreds of individuals in each Lebanon and Israel to go away their properties. Israeli strikes have killed some 350 Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon and greater than 100 civilians, together with medics, youngsters and journalists.
The Israeli army mentioned after Saturday’s assault the dying toll amongst civilians killed in Hezbollah assaults had risen to 23 since October, together with not less than 17 troopers.
Hezbollah is probably the most highly effective of a community of Iran-backed teams throughout the Center East and opened a second entrance in opposition to Israel shortly after Hamas’ Oct. 7 assault.
Iraqi teams and the Houthis of Yemen have each fired at Israel, which earlier this month attacked the Pink Sea port of Hodeidah in retaliation for a strike on Tel Aviv that killed one individual. Hamas has additionally carried out rocket assaults on Israel from Lebanon, as has the Lebanese Sunni group, the Jama’a Islamiya.
Druze communities stay on either side of the road between southern Lebanon and northern Israel in addition to within the Golan Heights and Syria. Whereas some serve within the Israeli army and determine with Israel, many really feel marginalized in Israel and a few additionally reject Israeli citizenship.
