Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised a “severe” response on Monday to a deadly attack that killed 12 young people in the annexed Golan Heights. The attack, attributed to Hezbollah, was the deadliest in a month and significantly heightened regional tensions. As diplomats worked to prevent further escalation between Israel and Hezbollah, the White House national security spokesperson noted that while Israel has the right to retaliate against Hezbollah after the rocket struck a soccer field in the Druze town of Majdal Shams, no one desires a broader conflict. Netanyahu cut short his visit to the US and visited the site of the attack, where hundreds of friends and relatives of the victims held up pictures of their loved ones as they protested Netanyahu’s visit, saying they did not want their tragedy to be exploited for political gain.
The Israeli military said the strikes on Sunday targeted Hezbollah positions in Lebanon and along its border with Syria. In a statement, the army said the airstrikes destroyed more than 30 targets, including four rocket launchers and an Iranian-made missile. Hezbollah has vowed revenge for the death of its young soldiers killed by Israeli troops in a 2006 war, and the two sides have exchanged fire in recent weeks. The strike on the soccer field sparked fears of a broader conflict that would engulf Lebanon’s northern city of Beirut.
Several foreign governments have issued travel advisories warning their citizens of the dangers and urging them to leave Lebanon. Lufthansa and its subsidiaries Swiss International and Eurowings have suspended flights to Beirut, while Turkey’s Aegean Airlines has canceled some services. The Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib said the country received reassurances from unnamed third parties that Israel’s retaliation for the strike will be limited. Hezbollah, which firmly denies responsibility, warned that any escalation would lead to a war on all fronts.
The security cabinet convened an emergency meeting on Sunday and “authorized the Prime Minister and the Defense Minister to decide on the nature of the reaction against Hezbollah and its timing,” the prime minister’s office said. The United States has been stepping up its contacts with Israeli and Lebanese officials, trying to avoid a full-blown conflict. Amos Hochstein, a senior adviser to President Joe Biden who frequently handles delicate negotiations in Lebanon, has been making a flurry of calls, according to a diplomatic official familiar with the situation.
The officials spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to speak to the media. The UNIFIL peacekeeping force in south Lebanon said it had increased its contact with both sides and was working to defuse the crisis. The mission’s chief said no one wants a war but added that a miscalculation could trigger one. “There is still space for a diplomatic solution,” Andrea Tenenti said. “But if Israel and Hezbollah continue to escalate, the consequences will be dire,” Tenenti added that the group would do everything it could to ensure the safety of its observers, who are positioned at several sites along the border.
