Fears of a major regional war in the Middle East have intensified after a rocket attack on a soccer field in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights claimed the lives of 12 young people, most of them children and teenagers, on Saturday.
The bombing, which Israeli officials unequivocally blamed on Lebanon’s Hezbollah militia, elicited a strong response from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who pledged to punish the Iranian-backed group for the bloodiest single attack on Israel since Hamas’s onslaught on October 7. Netanyahu, who was abroad in the United States at the time of the attack, decided to cut short his visit to return to Israel and convene his security cabinet while promising that Hezbollah “will pay a heavy price for this attack, one that it has not paid so far”.
Following the announcement, Israel launched a slew of military raids against Hezbollah locations deep into Lebanon on Sunday with the intention of destroying military infrastructure and weapon depots. The message was quite clear: Israel is ready to step up its military response.
Despite Hezbollah’s swift denial of responsibility, the cycle of violence between the Lebanon-based militant group and Israeli forces has been intensifying. “There is no doubt that Hezbollah has crossed all the red lines here, and the response will reflect that,” Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz stated.
Israel’s military’s tenacity has already been put to the test during the almost one-year-long war in Gaza, marked by daily bombings and ground operations. Within Netanyahu’s administration, far-right factions have been outspoken in their demands for a more severe reaction, even if it means going to full scale war. But compared to Hamas, Hezbollah poses a significantly greater threat to the Jewish state due to its better weaponry and strategic skills. The Israeli military, which is now fighting in Gaza, would have a difficult time controlling a second front in the battle. That could significantly alter the balance of power should the Yemeni Houthi militia, which also opposes Israel over its bombing campaign on Gaza, open another front in the south.
Iranian officials have condemned Israel’s actions, with Nasser Kanaani, a spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, cautioning against using the Majdal Shams incident as a pretext for further aggression. “After ten months of mass murder in the Gaza Strip and the massacre of Palestinian children and women, the Israeli apartheid regime seeks to divert public attention from its atrocities in Palestine with a fabricated scenario,” Kanaani said. The Iranian official warned that any “reckless” action by Israel could pave the way for greater instability, insecurity, and the fire of war in the region, holding the regime accountable for such actions.
The Israeli army has reportedly completed preparations for a large-scale operation, with new military units deployed to the northern front and put on high alert. Netanyahu’s recent discussions in Washington also play a critical role in shaping Israel’s strategy. Emphasizing the necessity of neutralizing Hezbollah, Netanyahu has garnered support for Israel’s security needs in Capitol Hill.
The attack in Majdal Shams coincided with another fatal strike in Gaza on the same day. After an Israeli bombing of a school housing displaced persons, at least thirty Palestinians were killed. Since the start of the conflict, nearly 40,000 Palestinians have died, the majority of them were women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The October 7 onslaught by Hamas on the Israeli side claimed almost 300 lives, including 1,200 troops, underscoring the heavy cost on both sides.
