Israel Strikes Hezbollah in Lebanon After Deadly Attack in Golan Heights

On July 27, 2024, Israel’s military bombed several Hezbollah targets in Lebanon. This came after a rocket attack on a football field in Majdal Shams, a Druze village in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, which killed 12 children.
Israel blamed Hezbollah for the attack, saying the group had crossed a red line.
Israel’s jets targeted Hezbollah’s weapons depots and infrastructure in various locations across Lebanon, including the Bekaa Valley, Shabriha, Burj al-Shemali, and several southern villages. Israel’s Foreign Ministry condemned Hezbollah, calling them a terrorist organization for deliberately attacking civilians.
Hezbollah denied involvement in the attack, suggesting instead that an Israeli interceptor missile might have caused the incident.
Iran, a strong supporter of Hezbollah, warned Israel against using the attack as an excuse for further aggression in Lebanon. Iran’s Foreign Ministry accused Israel of trying to distract from its actions in Gaza.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken supported Israel’s right to defend itself and said there was clear evidence that Hezbollah was behind the attack. Speaking in Tokyo, Blinken emphasized the need to end the Gaza conflict and avoid further escalation.
The attack in Majdal Shams involved about 30 projectiles fired from Lebanon into Israeli territory.
Israeli military chief Herzi Halevi stated that the rocket was Iranian-made and had a 53kg warhead, indicating it was intended to cause significant harm to civilians. The United Nations, the U.S., and the European Union condemned the attack and called for restraint to avoid a wider war.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant visited Majdal Shams and promised a strong response, stating that Hezbollah would “pay the price.” Israel conducted airstrikes on Hezbollah targets deep inside Lebanon, though it was unclear if there were casualties.
The children killed in the attack were playing soccer when the rocket hit. The Druze community, who mostly identify as Syrian and reject Israeli citizenship, mourned the victims in a large funeral procession. Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid spoke at the funeral, emphasizing the shared grief and loss.
Experts analyzing the explosion agreed that the damage was consistent with munitions used by Hezbollah. Despite Hezbollah’s denial, evidence suggested that the rocket came from the group or another militant organization. A Western official noted that while Israel was expected to respond, it did not want to escalate the conflict further.
Iran warned Israel against any new actions in Lebanon, and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cut short his U.S. visit to address the situation.
Egypt also called for international intervention to prevent a broader conflict. The United Nations urged all parties to exercise maximum restraint to avoid further escalation.
Residents of Majdal Shams questioned the effectiveness of the early warning system, as the rocket hit just seconds after sirens sounded. The Israeli military confirmed that the alert system was working correctly and expressed condolences to the victims’ families.