Twelve children and young adults were murdered by a missile strike in Majdal Shams, a Druze village in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, while playing football. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) responded by conducting airstrikes against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon. Though the organization has denied involvement, Israel has charged Hezbollah with the strike.
The IDF reported hitting seven Hezbollah targets "deep inside Lebanese territory" early Sunday, though casualty details remain unclear. This incident marks the deadliest loss of life in the area since the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and has escalated tensions, raising concerns of a potential full-scale war between Israel and Hezbollah.
The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, threatened to punish Hezbollah, saying that the organization will "pay a heavy price." Afterward, during the course of the night, the Israeli Air Force attacked numerous targets, including "weapons caches and terrorist infrastructure." Though investigations indicate that an Israeli interceptor rocket may have caused the explosion, Hezbollah nevertheless maintains its denial of culpability.
The United Nations has called for "maximum restraint" to prevent a broader conflict, while Israeli leaders and the Druze community have condemned the attack and called for decisive action. The situation remains tense, with both sides exchanging fire regularly since the Israel-Gaza war outbreak in October, though they had previously avoided escalating to a broader war in southern Lebanon.
