At least 11 killed, including children, in Golan Heights as Israel blames Hezbollah for rocket attack

A rocket attack Saturday on a soccer area in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights killed at least 11 folks and wounded a number of others, including youngsters, Israel stated, hours after an Israeli airstrike on south Lebanon killed three members of the militant Hezbollah group.

The strike, the deadliest attack on Israeli civilians because the preventing between the 2 foes erupted on Oct. 7, raised fears of a broader conflagration in the area. 

Hezbollah chief spokesman Mohammed Afif instructed The Associated Press that the group “categorically denies carrying out an attack on Majdal Shams.” It is uncommon for Hezbollah to disclaim an attack.

However, a U.S. official instructed CBS News Saturday evening that “there’s no real doubt here this was Hezbollah.”      

And Israel’s navy chief spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari additionally asserted to journalists that “Hezbollah is lying.” He stated all 11 folks killed had been aged 10 to 20, and that greater than 20 different folks had been wounded.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Hezbollah “will pay a heavy price for this attack, one that it has not paid so far.”  

Cutting his practically week-long journey to the U.S. quick, Netanyahu departed Washington, D.C., Saturday evening en path to Israel, an Israeli official instructed CBS News.   

Saturday was a day of “almost all-out war” between Israel and Hezbollah following the rocket attack that killed youngsters in Majdal Shams in northern Israel a U.S. official confirmed to CBS News. Officials stated the strike was a “nightmare scenario” feared by Biden administration officers — and mass casualties would pressure a heavier Israeli response than the standard tit-for-tat.

White House officers had been working the telephones to de-escalate and comprise the fallout.

“We condemn this horrific attack that reportedly killed a number of teenagers and children playing soccer on a Saturday evening in the village of Majdal Shams in northern Israel,” a spokesperson for the National Security Council stated. “…Israel continues to face severe threats to its security, as the world saw today, and the United States will continue to support efforts to end these terrible attacks along the Blue Line, which must be a top priority. Our support for Israel’s security is iron-clad and unwavering against all Iranian backed terrorist groups, including Lebanese Hezbollah.”

The Israeli navy stated in an announcement Saturday that in accordance with intelligence in its possession, “the rocket launch toward Majdal Shams was carried out by the Hezbollah terrorist organization.”

The Israeli navy stated one projectile was recognized crossing from Lebanon towards the world. Channel 12 aired footage of a big blast in one of many city’s valleys.  

The strike on the soccer area, simply earlier than sundown, adopted earlier cross-border violence on Saturday, when Hezbollah stated three of its fighters had been killed, with out specifying the place. Israel’s navy stated its air pressure focused a Hezbollah arms depot in the border village of Kfar Kila, including that militants had been inside on the time.  

“There is no doubt that Hezbollah has crossed all the red lines here, and the response will reflect that,” Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz instructed Israeli Channel 12. “We are nearing the moment in which we face an all-out war.”  

“These were kids at a soccer field,” Beni Ben Muvchar, head of the native council, instructed Israeli Channel 12. “Today a red line was crossed,” he stated, urging Israeli leaders to start out focusing on high Hezbollah commanders.

Hezbollah stated its fighters carried out 10 completely different assaults utilizing rockets and explosive drones towards Israeli navy posts, the final of which focused the military command of the Haramoun Brigade in Maaleh Golani with Katyusha rockets. In a separate assertion, Hezbollah stated it hit the identical military publish with a short-range Falaq rocket. It stated the assaults had been in response to Israeli airstrikes on villages in southern Lebanon.  

Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in the course of the 1967 Mideast conflict and later annexed them in 1981.

Israel and Hezbollah have traded close to every day fireplace because the conflict in Gaza began after Hamas’ shock attack on Oct. 7 killed some 1,200 folks and took 250 others hostage. Israel launched an offensive that has to date killed greater than 39,000 folks, in accordance with native well being authorities, displaced over 80% of the territory’s folks and triggered a humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip.

CBS News has realized the newest spherical of in-person hostage talks are set to happen Sunday in Rome, Italy, with CIA Director William Burns touring to the Italian capital to fulfill Mossad Director David Barnea, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, and Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel, in an try and finalize a deal.

The talks come as U.S. officers claimed to have dialed up the strain on Netanyahu throughout his White House conferences this week to shut on a cease-fire deal. 

Over the previous weeks, the trade of fireplace alongside the Lebanon-Israel intensified with Israeli airstrikes and rocket and drone assaults by Hezbollah putting deeper and additional away from the border.

Since early October, Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon have killed greater than 450 folks, largely Hezbollah members, but additionally round 90 civilians and non-combatants. On the Israeli facet, 21 troopers and 13 civilians had been killed earlier than Saturday.

— Margaret Brennan and Olivia Gazis contributed to this report.