A rocket strike within the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights killed 12 youngsters on a soccer subject yesterday. Israel blames the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which denies accountability for the assault.
DEBBIE ELLIOTT, HOST:
A rocket strike within the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights killed 12 youngsters and youths on a soccer subject yesterday afternoon. Greater than 20 individuals had been wounded, some critically. Israel says that the rocket was fired from Southern Lebanon by Hezbollah. The militant group has denied any accountability for the assault.
The incident provides to an already very tense state of affairs between Hezbollah and Israel. For extra, we’re joined by NPR’s Kat Lonsdorf, who’s within the Golan Heights. Good morning. Welcome.
KAT LONSDORF, BYLINE: Hey, good morning, Debbie.
ELLIOTT: So what are you able to inform us in regards to the strike?
LONSDORF: Yeah, so the strike occurred within the city of Majdal Shams. It’s totally near the border with Lebanon within the Golan Heights right here, which is a disputed space that Israel seized from Syria in 1967 and claims as its personal. The group there may be largely Druze, which is an Arab-minority inhabitants, a few of whom are Israeli citizen – residents.
Israel says that round 40 rockets had been shot from Southern Lebanon in the direction of Israel by Hezbollah late yesterday afternoon. And the navy says it shot down most of them, however one acquired by way of and hit that soccer subject the place youngsters had been taking part in.
And such as you mentioned simply now, there’s nonetheless confusion round what precisely occurred, who’s accountable. Israel is adamant that Hezbollah shot this rocket. The navy has put out a number of statements saying that and providing proof that this sort of rocket and the explosives on it are solely one thing that Hezbollah has entry to.
However Hezbollah has vehemently denied accountability. In an announcement final evening, the group mentioned very clearly that they’d, quote, “completely nothing to do with the incident.” And a number of other Lebanese lawmakers got here out condemning the assault and saying basically that Lebanon is obvious on not focusing on civilians, that Lebanon’s not accountable. However, you recognize, on the finish of the day, you’ve gotten 12 youngsters who had been killed and plenty of extra wounded, and folks listed below are actually indignant about it.
ELLIOTT: So, Kat, inform us the place you might be within the Golan Heights, and what has been the response in Israel to this?
LONSDORF: Yeah, so I am on the way in which to Majdal Shams. I am not there fairly but. We acquired on the street a bit late. However funerals had been held as we speak in Majdal Shams, the city the place the strike occurred, and 1000’s turned out. The streets had been packed. The soccer subject the place it occurred has changed into a form of makeshift memorial with an enormous crater in the midst of it. And feelings listed below are actually excessive. You understand, Druze non secular chief Sheikh Muwafek Tarif spoke on the funerals as we speak, calling the assault a, quote, “low level in humanity.”
You understand, but it surely’s not simply the Druze group right here. The response all through Israel has been fast and powerful to sentence this assault. The Israeli navy spokesperson, Daniel Hagari, spoke final evening. He referred to as this the deadliest assault on Israeli civilians since October 7. Israel’s Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant, visited the location this morning telling the group that, quote, “the entire nation is with you.”
And Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – he was in Washington when this occurred. He rescheduled his flight residence to come back again earlier. He simply landed a bit bit in the past and instantly went to satisfy along with his safety cupboard. He is put out an announcement very clearly saying that Hezbollah can pay for this assault.
ELLIOTT: So this occurs at a degree the place tensions between Hezbollah and Israel have already been extremely excessive. Many have…
LONSDORF: Yeah.
ELLIOTT: …Been involved there’s going to be an all-out struggle between the 2.
LONSDORF: Yep.
ELLIOTT: What’s your tackle that?
LONSDORF: Properly, this actually escalates these tensions, and that is the clearest rhetoric we have heard from the Israeli authorities a couple of doable struggle starting. There’s this sense amongst lawmakers right here that this assault was so critical that they’ve to reply. However it looks as if Hezbollah and authorities officers in Lebanon are doing all that they will to stroll it again, to disclaim the assault and in addition to not go to struggle.
You understand, in a single day, the Israeli navy says it carried out a number of strikes deep in Lebanon. It is not completely uncommon. The 2 sides have been firing forwards and backwards virtually every day for months now. However the actual determination on what occurs now’s going to come back out of that cupboard assembly that Netanyahu is in proper now.
ELLIOTT: In the meantime, Israel – after all, nonetheless combating a struggle in Gaza within the South.
LONSDORF: Yeah.
ELLIOTT: What would a second struggle imply?
LONSDORF: Yeah, there’s been numerous hypothesis about whether or not Israel actually has the manpower and the navy tools to combat a two-front struggle, though the Israeli navy will guarantee you that they do. There’s growing stress on Netanyahu to comply with a cease-fire deal in Gaza, each to get the hostages residence but in addition to permit the navy to deal with the North, on Hezbollah. And this incident simply underscores that for a lot of.
You understand, however the struggle in Gaza continues to be very, very a lot happening. You understand, simply yesterday, an Israeli airstrike hit yet one more faculty sheltering 1000’s of displaced individuals. That killed not less than 30, lots of whom had been additionally youngsters. So it has been a really unhappy weekend within the area, particularly for youths.
ELLIOTT: Sure. That is NPR’s Kat Lonsdorf. Thanks on your reporting from Golan Heights.
LONSDORF: Yeah, thanks.
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