Golan Heights strike: Thousands mourn children killed

Thousands of people gathered on Sunday for the funeral of children and young people killed in a rocket strike in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, as world leaders appealed to stop the political fallout from the attack.

Members of the Druze community wept as they carried the coffins of Majdal Shams, while others shouted angrily at government ministers there, Israeli media said.

Meanwhile, the White House said that the terrorist group supported by Iran, Hezbollah, was the one that attacked, killing 12. Israel also suspected that. Hezbollah denies it was responsible.

On Sunday, world leaders condemned the attack and eased tensions amid fears it could spark a war between Israel and Hezbollah.

In response to Saturday’s strike, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) attacked Hezbollah in Lebanon overnight, and Hezbollah hit two Israeli military bases on Sunday.

Cross-border fire between the two sides has intensified since Hezbollah fired rockets into Israeli positions the day after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7. The attack by Hamas started Israel’s military operation in Gaza. Hezbollah says it is acting in support of the Palestinians.

Saturday’s attack was the deadliest on and near Israel’s northern border since October.

The strike hit a football stadium in Majdal Shams, one of four towns in the Golan Heights that are home to about 25,000 members of the Arabic-speaking Druze religious and ethnic group.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry said 10 of the 12 victims were between 10 and 16 years old, and has not released the ages of the other two victims.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who vowed that Hezbollah will “pay a heavy price”, arrived in Israel on Sunday after cutting short a trip to the US. He planned to hold a meeting with his army chiefs to assess the situation and approve the plans of action.

Hezbollah denied having anything to do with the strike, but earlier on Saturday claimed responsibility for four attacks, including one that took place at a military base three kilometers away.

At the funeral in Majdal Shams on Sunday, mourners wearing white turbans covered in red carried 10 white-covered coffins through the crowded streets, AFP reported. Women dressed in black abayas wept as they placed flowers in boxes. Some mourners carried large pictures of the dead children.

Fadi Mahmud, 48, told AFP that it was the first time Majdal Shams had suffered such a loss during the war.

“Our community is very close-knit. These children are like everyone else’s children in the area,” he said.

Anger among the public also flared up at the funeral, with some directing their anger at Israeli government officials who attended, the Times of Israel reported.

“Now you come here? You haven’t come for ten months!” a man wearing a military uniform is reported to be shouting at Minister of Housing Nir Barkat and Minister of Environmental Protection Idit Silman. His comments were met with applause.

“We are tired of your promises!” another person is reported to have scolded the Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich.

In a video posted on social media, the thugs surrounded Mr. Smotrich, cursing and saying “we don’t want him!”, according to a translation by the Times of Israel.

Israeli media reported that the leader of the Druze community asked in a letter that government ministers not attend the funeral to avoid turning the massacre into a “political incident”.

The Druze are part of an Arabic-speaking group based in Lebanon, Syria, the Golan Heights and northern Israel. In Israel, they have full citizenship rights and comprise about 1.5% of the population.

But most of those in the Golan have maintained allegiance to Syria. They can still study and work in Israel, although only those with citizenship can vote and serve in the army.

Most of the international community does not recognize Israel’s capture of the Golan Heights from Syria in 1981.

On Sunday, international leaders spoke out against the strike and warned of escalation, although they differed on who was involved.

UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy said in an email to X that the UK “condemns the strike on the Golan Heights which has claimed at least 12 lives” and that Hezbollah “must stop their attacks”.

“We are very concerned about the risk of continued growth and decline,” said Secretary Lammy.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington supports Israel’s right to defend itself, adding that “we don’t want to see any further escalation of the conflict”.

Lebanon’s Foreign Minister Abdallah Bouhabib told the BBC that he did not think Hezbollah had carried out the attack, but added that “it could be Israel’s fault or Hezbollah’s – I don’t know”.

The government of Lebanon has condemned the violence and called in a statement for a cessation of hostilities on all sides.