Bleeding in the Middle East - Concern for field fire after rocket attack on Golan
A devastating rocket attack on the Golan Heights, which is under Israeli annexation, has killed at least twelve young people and heightened the risk of a larger war in the region. Israel held the Iran-aligned Lebanese Shia militia Hezbollah responsible for the attack and threatened a harsh response. The Israeli Air Force bombed several Hezbollah targets in Lebanon according to military reports.
The incident caused international alarm and concern over the escalation of violence in the region. UN representatives called on both parties to "utmost restraint." The USA and the EU also condemned the attack.
The deadliest incident on the Israeli side since the fighting with Hezbollah began nearly ten months ago occurred in the Druze town of Majdal Shams. A rocket of Iranian origin reportedly hit a crowded football field in the area. At least twelve people aged 10 to 20 were killed, most of whom were children and teenagers. Witnesses described gruesome scenes with mutilated bodies. Thousands of people attended the funeral of the young victims.
Hezbollah denied involvement in the attack, but this was disputed by Israel. Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi stated during a visit to the attack site that it was a Falak rocket with a 53-kilogram explosive charge. He considered it a Hezbollah rocket. "Whoever fires such a rocket into a populated area wants to kill civilians, wants to kill children."
The Golan Heights is a strategically important plateau, about 60 kilometers long and 25 kilometers wide. It was captured by Israel during the Six-Day War in 1967 and annexed in 1981, although this was not recognized internationally. According to international law, the territories are considered occupied Syrian territory. The former US President Donald Trump formally recognized the Golan Heights as Israeli territory in March 2019, marking a significant shift in US foreign policy.
The attack hit a place where mostly Arabic-speaking Druze live. The Druze community originated from Shia Islam in the eleventh century. Many Druse serve in the Israeli military.
An Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson stated that there was only one way to prevent a comprehensive war, "which would also be devastating for Lebanon." Hezbollah must withdraw to a position in accordance with a UN resolution, behind the Litani River, which is 30 kilometers from the border between Israel and Lebanon. "Now is the last moment to do this diplomatically."
In an attempt to resolve the situation, US Ambassador Amos Hochstein spoke with the leading Druze politician Walid Jumblatt in Lebanon. Hochstein expressed concern over the deadly attack in Majdal Shams, according to Jumblatt's office. It was necessary for Israel to stop its attacks in Lebanon, as well as in the Gaza Strip, said the former parliamentarian.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened: "Hezbollah will pay a heavy price for this, a price they have not paid yet." Upon his return from the US, Netanyahu called for a security cabinet meeting. Netanyahu had given a speech before the Congress in the US and met with US President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and former President and presidential candidate Donald Trump. His departure from Washington was delayed by several hours.
Military expert holds misfire possible
Israeli military expert Sarit Zehavi referred to the fact that the Shiite militia had claimed attacks on an Israeli military base on Mount Hermon before the fatal incident. "It is very easy to miss the base on Mount Hermon with imprecise rockets like the Falak," she said. Migdal Shams is located directly below it.
Hezbollah, however, is reportedly preparing for a potentially heavy Israeli attack. "We have been on alert for months and are monitoring any attack by the enemy," the German Press Agency learned from sources within the militia.
"We strongly urge all parties to exercise maximum restraint and to end the ongoing violent clashes," read a joint statement from the chief of the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, Aroldo Lázaro, and the special coordinator for the country, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert. The fighting "could spark a larger conflagration that would plunge the entire region into an unimaginable catastrophe," the two UN representatives warned.
Baerbock: Attacks must cease immediately
A spokesperson for the US National Security Council condemned the rocket attack and assured in a statement: "Our support for Israel's security against all Iran-backed terrorist groups, including the Lebanese Hezbollah, is unwavering and unwavering." EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell was shocked by the attack. "We call on all sides to exercise maximum restraint and to prevent any further escalation," he wrote on the platform X.
"The provocative attacks must cease immediately. Our thoughts are with the families," German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock wrote on X. Since the beginning of the Gaza War in the previous October, the Israeli army and the Hezbollah have been engaging in near-daily battles. The Iran-backed militia acts in solidarity with Hamas, which is also active in Lebanon. According to official figures, more than 100 civilians and around 360 Hezbollah fighters have been killed in Lebanon so far. On the Israeli side, 42 people have been killed, 23 of whom were civilians.
Iranian reaction
Israel's arch-enemy Iran held Israel responsible for the attack in Madjal Schams. "This massacre is a war against humanity and violates all internationally recognized laws and regulations," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani to the news agency ISNA.
However, the Iranian ambassador in Lebanon took a different tone. He saw little risk of a larger war in the Middle East despite the deadly rocket attack, saying the chances were "very low," as there was a "de facto power balance" in the region. Iran does not want to expand the conflict with Israel but has no fear of it.
Talks about a ceasefire in the Gaza War in Rome
The head of the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad, David Barnea, conducted talks in Rome regarding a ceasefire in the Gaza War. Indirect talks between Israel and the Islamist Hamas, mediated by the USA, Qatar, and Egypt, have been progressing slowly for months. Since May, they have centered around a multi-stage plan proposed by US President Joe Biden, which ultimately aims for a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza War. Additionally, hostages held by Hamas are to be exchanged for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons.
The Gaza War was triggered by an unprecedented massacre with over 1,200 fatalities, perpetrated by the Islamists of Hamas and other groups from the Gaza Strip against Israelis in the South on October 7th of last year. According to Palestinian reports, at least 30 people were killed in an Israeli air raid on a school building in Deir al-Balah in the Gaza Strip on a Saturday. The Israeli military claimed they had targeted a Hamas command center.
The rocket attack in Madjal Schams, a predominantly Arabic-speaking Druze area, was condemned by the United States and the EU, expressing concern over escalating violence. Israel accused Hezbollah, an Iran-aligned Lebanese Shia militia, of responsibility and threatened retaliation. The attack resulted in the death of at least twelve young people, mostly children and teenagers, leading to widespread mourning and funeral processesions.
Despite Hezbollah's denial of involvement, Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi identified the rocket as a Hezbollah-fired Falak rocket, intending to harm civilians. The Golan Heights, a strategically important plateau annexed by Israel in 1981 despite international opposition, has been the location of several conflicts and tensions with neighboring countries, including Lebanon.
Diminishing the risk of a larger war and promoting diplomacy has been a key priority for the international community. US Ambassador Amos Hochstein met with leading Druze politician Walid Jumblatt in Lebanon, expressing concern over the situation and calling for Israel to halt its attacks on Lebanon and the Gaza Strip.
EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock agreed, urging all parties to exercise maximum restraint and prevent further escalation, stressing the need for an immediate cessation of attacks. UN peacekeeping force representatives also called for restraint, warning of potential regional catastrophe.
Iran, Israel's long-standing adversary, held Israel accountable for the attack, denouncing the event as a violation of international laws and regulations. However, Iranian officials downplayed the likelihood of a substantial conflict with Israel, acknowledging a "de facto power balance" in the Middle East.
Military expert Sarit Zehavi suggested the possibility of a mishandled rocket attack, explaining that imprecise Falak rockets could accidentally strike nearby locations like Migdal Shams. Parties are actively engaged in indirect talks regarding a ceasefire in the Gaza War, with Israel, the USA, and mediators attempting to broker a multi-stage plan leading to a permanent cessation of hostilities.
Hezbollah has a history of retaliating against Israeli military targets, effectively placing the region on a constant state of high alert. As a result, over 100 civilians and around 360 Hezbollah fighters have been killed in Lebanon, while Israeli casualties total 42, with 23 being civilians.
These ongoing tensions and recurring conflicts raise concerns about bloodshed and the danger of another devastating war in the Middle East. International figures and communities continue to advocate for diplomacy and peace, recognizing the urgent need for a resolution to the ongoing conflicts in the Palestinian territories, Lebanon, and between Israel and its regional adversaries.
