Thousands of mourners attended funeral ceremonies on Sunday for 12 children and teenagers killed by a rocket strike in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Israel vowed swift retaliation against Hezbollah in Lebanon, though the group denied responsibility for the attack on Majdal Shams, which was the deadliest in Israel or Israeli-annexed territory since Hamas' October 7 assault. This incident has heightened the risk of the conflict spreading regionally.
Israeli jets targeted southern Lebanon overnight, but a stronger response is anticipated following a security cabinet meeting at 6 p.m. (1500 GMT). Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, returning from the United States, met with security officials in preparation. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken indicated that the rocket was likely fired by Hezbollah, affirming Washington's support for Israel's right to self-defense while urging restraint to avoid further escalation.
In the Druze village of Majdal Shams, located in the Golan Heights (annexed by Israel after the 1967 war but not internationally recognized), large crowds gathered for the funerals. The Druze, an Arab minority practicing a form of Islam, make up over half of the 40,000-strong population there. Many mourners, wearing traditional Druze headwear, accompanied the caskets through the village. Dolan Abu Saleh, head of the local council, described it as a "dark day" for Majdal Shams.
Despite Hezbollah's initial claim of firing rockets at Israeli military sites in the Golan Heights, it denied involvement in the Majdal Shams attack. Israel, however, attributed the rocket to Hezbollah, stating it was fired from north of Chebaa in southern Lebanon, and blamed the group unequivocally. Israeli officials noted the rocket was an Iranian-made Falaq-1, a type previously launched by Hezbollah.
Israeli forces have exchanged fire with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon for months, but both sides have tried to avoid escalation. Saturday's strike threatens to deepen the conflict, with U.N. officials calling for restraint to prevent a wider regional conflagration. The Lebanese government has asked the U.S. to urge Israeli restraint, while Iran warned Israel against any new aggression in Lebanon. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, visiting the strike site, vowed a strong response.
Syria condemned Israel for the escalation and rejected its accusations against Hezbollah. The White House reiterated strong support for Israel's security and stressed the need to end the attacks along the Blue Line (the Lebanon-Israel frontier). Efforts are being made to prevent an all-out war, with tens of thousands already displaced in both Lebanon and Israel. Israeli strikes have killed around 350 Hezbollah fighters and over 100 civilians in Lebanon, while Hezbollah attacks have resulted in 23 Israeli civilian deaths and at least 17 soldiers since October.
Hezbollah, the most powerful of Iran-backed groups in the region, opened a second front against Israel following Hamas' October 7 assault. Other groups, including Iraqi militias and Yemen's Houthis, have also targeted Israel, which retaliated with strikes on the Red Sea port of Hodeidah. The conflict continues to affect multiple fronts, with Druze communities, some of whom serve in the Israeli military, feeling the impacts on both sides of the line between southern Lebanon and northern Israel, as well as in the Golan Heights and Syria.