GAZA BOMBING & GOLAN HEIGHTS STRIKE : NPR

DEBBIE ELLIOTT, HOST:

A rocket strike in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights killed 12 children and teens on a soccer field yesterday afternoon. More than 20 people were wounded, some critically. Israel says that the rocket was fired from Southern Lebanon by Hezbollah. The militant group has denied any responsibility for the attack.

The incident adds to an already very tense situation between Hezbollah and Israel. For more, we’re joined by NPR’s Kat Lonsdorf, who is in the Golan Heights. Good morning. Welcome.

KAT LONSDORF, BYLINE: Hey, good morning, Debbie.

ELLIOTT: So what can you tell us about the strike?

LONSDORF: Yeah, so the strike happened in the town of Majdal Shams. It’s very close to the border with Lebanon in the Golan Heights here, which is a disputed area that Israel seized from Syria in 1967 and claims as its own. The community there is largely Druze, which is an Arab-minority population, some of whom are Israeli citizen – citizens.

Israel says that around 40 rockets were shot from Southern Lebanon towards Israel by Hezbollah late yesterday afternoon. And the military says it shot down most of them, but one got through and hit that soccer field where kids were playing.

And like you said just now, there’s still confusion around what exactly happened, who’s to blame. Israel is adamant that Hezbollah shot this rocket. The military has put out several statements saying that and offering evidence that this type of rocket and the explosives on it are only something that Hezbollah has access to.

But Hezbollah has vehemently denied responsibility. In a statement last night, the group said very clearly that they had, quote, “absolutely nothing to do with the incident.” And several Lebanese lawmakers came out condemning the attack and saying essentially that Lebanon is clear on not targeting civilians, that Lebanon’s not responsible. But, you know, at the end of the day, you have 12 kids who were killed and many more wounded, and people here are really angry about it.

ELLIOTT: So, Kat, tell us where you are in the Golan Heights, and what has been the reaction in Israel to this?

LONSDORF: Yeah, so I’m on the way to Majdal Shams. I’m not there quite yet. We got on the road a little late. But funerals were held today in Majdal Shams, the town where the strike happened, and thousands turned out. The streets were packed. The soccer field where it happened has turned into a kind of makeshift memorial with a big crater in the middle of it. And emotions here are really high. You know, Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Muwafek Tarif spoke at the funerals today, calling the attack a, quote, “low point in humanity.”

You know, but it’s not just the Druze community here. The response throughout Israel has been quick and strong to condemn this attack. The Israeli military spokesperson, Daniel Hagari, spoke last night. He called this the deadliest attack on Israeli civilians since October 7. Israel’s Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant, visited the site this morning telling the community that, quote, “the whole country is with you.”

And Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – he was in Washington when this happened. He rescheduled his flight home to come back earlier. He just landed a little bit ago and immediately went to meet with his security cabinet. He’s put out a statement very clearly saying that Hezbollah will pay for this attack.

ELLIOTT: So this happens at a point where tensions between Hezbollah and Israel have already been incredibly high. Many have…

LONSDORF: Yeah.

ELLIOTT: …Been concerned there’s going to be an all-out war between the two.

LONSDORF: Yep.

ELLIOTT: What is your take on that?

LONSDORF: Well, this certainly escalates those tensions, and this is the clearest rhetoric we’ve heard from the Israeli government about a possible war beginning. There’s this feeling among lawmakers here that this attack was so serious that they have to respond. But it seems like Hezbollah and government officials in Lebanon are doing all that they can to walk it back, to deny the attack and also to not go to war.

You know, overnight, the Israeli military says it carried out several strikes deep in Lebanon. It’s not totally unusual. The two sides have been firing back and forth almost daily for months now. But the real decision on what happens now is going to come out of that cabinet meeting that Netanyahu is in right now.

ELLIOTT: Meanwhile, Israel – of course, still fighting a war in Gaza in the South.

LONSDORF: Yeah.

ELLIOTT: What would a second war mean?

LONSDORF: Yeah, there’s been a lot of speculation about whether Israel really has the manpower and the military equipment to fight a two-front war, although the Israeli military will assure you that they do. There’s increasing pressure on Netanyahu to agree to a cease-fire deal in Gaza, both to get the hostages home but also to allow the military to focus on the North, on Hezbollah. And this incident just underscores that for many.

You know, but the war in Gaza is still very, very much going on. You know, just yesterday, an Israeli airstrike hit yet another school sheltering thousands of displaced people. That killed at least 30, many of whom were also children. So it’s been a very sad weekend in the region, especially for kids.

ELLIOTT: Yes. That’s NPR’s Kat Lonsdorf. Thank you for your reporting from Golan Heights.

LONSDORF: Yeah, thank you.

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