Topline
A rocket sent from Lebanon struck a soccer field in Israel’s Golan Heights territory on Saturday, killing at least 10, Israel said, immediately blaming the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah—which denied the claim—just hours after an Israeli airstrike at a school in the Gaza Strip left at least 30 dead.
Israeli emergency services and local residents gather near a site where a rocket struck in Golan … [+]
Key Facts
Israel’s military wing, the Israel Defense Forces, claimed the rocket that landed in Golan Heights killed “multiple civilian casualties, including children.”
Hezbollah denied the IDF’s claim, though IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari argued in a video Hezbollah’s denial was a “lie,” adding 10 children were killed and more than 20 were injured, all between the ages of 8 and 20.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Hezbollah would “pay a heavy price,” for the attack, and the Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said that the country is “nearing the moment in which we face an all-out war,” according to the Associated Press.
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Key Background
Israel declared war on Gaza-based militant group Hamas on Oct. 7, in the aftermath of Hamas’ attack on southern Israel, which killed an estimated 1,200 people, according to Israel. Over 39,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the war began, according to the Hamas-led Gaza Health Ministry, though that agency does not distinguish between civilians and troops. In recent months, concern has grown over the prospect of a wider regional conflict, as other militant groups become involved, primarily the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. Just a week ago, Israel attacked on Yemen’s Al Hudaydah Port in response to a Houthi drone strike on Tel Aviv. Hezbollah, which also has ties to Iran, has also battled Israel since the war in Gaza began. In January, Hezbollah said senior commander Wissam Tawil was killed in an Israeli airstrike, while in April, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for a drone strike on an Israeli military base.
Further Reading
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