Majdal Shams attack

Majdal Shams attack
Part of the Israel–Hezbollah conflict (2023–present)
The missile impact site on the soccer field after the casualties, both deceased and wounded, were removed
Majdal Shams attack is located in the Golan Heights
Majdal Shams attack
Majdal Shams attack is located in the Golan Heights
Majdal Shams attack
Location within the Golan
LocationMajdal Shams, Israeli-occupied Golan Heights
Coordinates33°15′58.4″N 35°46′05.9″E / 33.266222°N 35.768306°E / 33.266222; 35.768306
Date27 July 2024
6:18 pm (UTC+02:00)
Attack type
Rocket attack
Deaths12
InjuredAt least 42
Perpetrator Hezbollah (according to Israel and the United States)

The Majdal Shams attack, also called the Majdal Shams massacre by Israeli media,[1][2] took place on 27 July 2024, when a rocket hit a football pitch in Majdal Shams in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.[a] The resulting blast killed 12 Syrian children belonging to the Druze community[4][5][6] and injured at least 42 others,[7][8] with most of the victims being between the ages of 10 and 16.[7][4]

Israel blamed Hezbollah for carrying out the attack with an Iranian-made Falaq-1 rocket equipped with a 53-kilogram warhead.[7][9] Hezbollah said it had targeted a nearby military base and that the football pitch was hit by an errant Israeli Iron Dome air defence projectile. Western sources dismissed this claim, citing expert opinion that the rocket had been fired by Hezbollah or another militant group in Lebanon.[9][10][11][4][12]

Local authorities denied that the children were Israeli,[4] and local residents protested the attendance of Israeli ministers at the funeral for reasons ranging from opposition to politicization of the tragedy to anger at the Israeli government's perceived neglect of their safety.[13][14][15][16][17]

The attack occurred amid the Israel–Hezbollah conflict that has been ongoing since 8 October 2023, a regular exchange of attacks that began following the outbreak of the Israel–Hamas war.[18][19] Following the attack, Israel assassinated Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr.

  1. ^ "'Shredded to pieces': Druze community grieves after Hezbollah strike kills 12 children". The Times of Israel. 28 July 2024. Archived from the original on 28 July 2024. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  2. ^ Frantzman, Seth J. (28 July 2024). "Lebanon, Hezbollah run from responsibility for Majdal Shams massacre - analysis". The Jerusalem Post. Archived from the original on 28 July 2024. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  3. ^ Wilner, Michael (28 February 2019). "GOP lawmakers introduce bill recognizing Israeli sovereignty over Golan". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d Picheta, Rob; Schwartz, Michael; Nicholls, Catherine; Mezzofiore, Gianluca; Brown, Benjamin; Diamond, Jeremy; Salman, Abeer (29 July 2024). "Israel says Hezbollah will 'pay the price' after blaming it for attack on soccer field that killed 12 children". CNN News. Most Druze there identify as Syrian and have rejected offers of Israeli citizenship. The Regional Council of Majdal Shams said Sunday that none of the 12 children killed had Israeli citizenship.
  5. ^ Bulos, Nabih (30 July 2024). "Israel says it killed Hezbollah commander in Beirut strike". Los Angeles Times. a rocket attack over the weekend . . that killed a dozen Syrian children and young adults in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
  6. ^ Muaddi, Qassam (30 July 2024). "Who are the Syrian Druze of Majdal Shams?". Mondoweiss. Retrieved 4 August 2024. Netanyahu spoke to the media, condemning the attack that killed 'Israeli citizens,' referring to the deceased as 'our children.' But contrary to Netanyahu's attempt to portray the attack as an attack on Israel, he and Smotrich were met with indignation by hundreds of angry mourners who kicked the politicians out, calling them 'murderers' and other expletives on their way out. Across international mainstream media, the people of Majdal Shams have been referred to as everything from 'Druze Arabs,' to 'Druze Israelis,' and their town has been referenced both by the media and by Israeli politicians as just another 'Israeli' town. Similar to Netanyahu's reference to 'our children,' these titles and designations obscure the national identity of the Druze people who live in the occupied Golan Heights and their political reality. Saturday's killing of the 12 Syrian children in the Golan . . .
  7. ^ a b c Fabian, Emanuel (27 July 2024). "12 killed, mostly children, dozens hurt as Hezbollah rocket hits Majdal Shams soccer field". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on 28 July 2024. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  8. ^ "Missile hit in Majdal Shams kills nine, injures at least 34 including children". Ynetnews. 27 July 2024. Archived from the original on 27 July 2024. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  9. ^ a b Frankel, Julia; El Deeb, Sarah (30 July 2024). "A bloody field, mangled scooters. Clues emerge from strike that killed 12 children in Golan Heights". Associated Press. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
  10. ^ Lewis, Simon. "US blames Hezbollah for Golan Heights attack, says it doesn't want escalation". Reuters.
  11. ^ "Bowen: Golan attack leaves border war's unspoken rules in tatters". BBC News.
  12. ^ Gadzo, Mersiha; Varshalomidze, Tamila; Pietromarchi, Virginia. "Hezbollah's denial of responsibility for rocket attack opens door for de-escalation". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 28 July 2024. Retrieved 28 July 2024. Omar Baddar, a Middle East political analyst, says he believes the rocket attack on the Golan Heights was "almost certainly an accident", regardless of who was responsible for it.
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference aa1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  14. ^ Cite error: The named reference nh was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  15. ^ Lonsdorf, Kat (29 July 2024). "As the Druze in the Golan Height mourn, they question their relationship with Israel". NPR.
  16. ^ Brake, Salim (1 August 2024). "Opinion | An Israeli War of Vengeance in Lebanon? Not in the Druze Community's Name". Haaretz.
  17. ^ Cite error: The named reference :15 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  18. ^ Sewell, Abby (3 November 2023). "Lebanon's militant Hezbollah leader threatens escalation with Israel as its war with Hamas rages on". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 3 November 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  19. ^ Levine, Heidi; Pannett, Rachel; Masih, Niha; Fahim, Kareem (28 July 2024). "IDF strikes deep in Lebanon after rocket attack, stoking fear of wider war". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 28 July 2024. Retrieved 28 July 2024.


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