Ten teenagers and young adults have tragically lost their lives, with dozens more injured, following a devastating attack on a football pitch in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, as confirmed by local emergency services.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported that a rocket struck the Majdal Shams area of this territory, marking the deadliest incident in the region amid escalating tensions between Israel’s military and Hezbollah since the onset of the Israel-Hamas conflict in October.
While the IDF attributed the attack to Hezbollah, the group’s spokesperson, Mohamad Afif, dismissed any connection, labeling the accusations as false.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, currently in the United States, has expedited his return to Israel after receiving updates from advisors regarding the situation. Foreign Minister Israel Katz addressed the gravity of the conflict on Channel 12, stating, “We are facing an all-out war.”
This latest attack follows an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon that resulted in the deaths of four militants. Although Hezbollah launched retaliatory rockets, they have denied participation in the Majdal Shams incident.
Verified footage from the scene reveals chaotic moments as crowds gathered on the football pitch, with stretchers being rushed to ambulances.
Majdal Shams is one of four villages in the Golan Heights, home to approximately 25,000 Druze residents. Following the annexation of the Syrian Golan Heights in 1981, these individuals were offered Israeli citizenship, which the majority declined. Consequently, while they can study and work in Israel, they are not permitted to vote.
