TEL AVIV, Israel — A rocket assault Saturday on a soccer subject within the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights killed at the very least 10 individuals and wounded a number of others, together with youngsters, hours after an Israeli airstrike on south Lebanon killed three members of the militant Hezbollah group.
The strike, the deadliest assault on an Israeli goal for the reason that preventing between the 2 foes erupted in October, raised fears of of a broader conflagration within the area.
Hezbollah mentioned it struck a navy base within the Golan Heights in retaliation for Israeli assaults on a village in Lebanon.
Hezbollah chief spokesman Mohammed Afif instructed The Related Press that the group “categorically denies finishing up an assault on Majdal Shams.”
The Israeli navy mentioned in an announcement Saturday that in keeping with intelligence in its possession, “the rocket launch towards Majdal Shams was carried out by the Hezbollah terrorist group.”
“The Hezbollah terrorist group is behind the rocket launch at a soccer subject in Majdal Shams which induced a number of civilian casualties, together with youngsters, earlier this night,” the assertion mentioned.
Israel’s Magen David Adom paramedic service initially reported 11 individuals wounded, 9 critically, and all between the ages of 10 and 20. Israeli Public Broadcaster Kan aired footage of some being rushed to ambulances on stretchers from a soccer subject within the city of Majdal Shams.
“These had been children at a soccer subject,” Beni Ben Muvchar, head of the native council, instructed Israeli Channel 12. “In the present day a pink line was crossed,” he mentioned, urging Israeli leaders to start out concentrating on high Hezbollah commanders.
The Israeli navy mentioned one projectile was recognized crossing from Lebanon towards the world, including it was cooperating with the MDA to evacuate the wounded. Channel 12 aired footage of a big blast in one of many city’s valleys.
Hezbollah mentioned in an announcement that its militants firing Katyusha rockets at an Israeli military put up within the Golan Heights was in response to Israeli airstrikes on villages in south Lebanon. The group mentioned earlier three of its members had been killed on Saturday with out specifying the place. Israel’s navy mentioned its air power focused a Hezbollah arms depot on the border village of Kfar Kila, including that militants had been inside on the time.
Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria throughout the 1967 Mideast conflict and later annexed them in 1981.
Israel and Hezbollah have traded close to each day hearth for the reason that conflict in Gaza began after Hamas’ shock assault on Oct.7 killed some 1,200 individuals and took 250 others hostage. Israel launched an offensive that has to this point killed greater than 39,000 individuals, in keeping with native well being authorities, displaced over 80% of the territory’s individuals and triggered a humanitarian catastrophe within the Gaza Strip.
Over the previous weeks, the alternate of fireside alongside the Lebanon-Israel intensified with Israeli airstrikes and rocket and drone assaults by Hezbollah hanging deeper and additional away from the border.
Since early October, Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon have killed greater than 450 individuals, principally Hezbollah members, but additionally round 90 civilians and non-combatants. On the Israeli facet, 21 troopers and 13 civilians have been killed.
