In Majdal Shams, the names of 11 out of the 12 children and teenagers killed on Saturday by a direct hit from a Hezbollah rocket on the Druze village in northern Golan Heights were released on Sunday morning. The victims will be laid to rest in the village at 11 AM.
Fajr Laith Abu Saleh (16), Ameer Rabeea Abu Saleh (16), Hazem Akram Abu Saleh (15), John Wadeea Ibrahim (13), Iseel Nasha'at Ayoub (12), Finis Adham Safadi (11), Yazan Nayeif Abu Saleh (12), Alma Ayman Fakhr al-Din (11), Naji Taher al-Halabi (11), and Milad Muadad al-Sha'ar (10). Another victim is Nathem Fakher Saeb from Ein Kinia, with his funeral set for 10 AM on Sunday.
“With deep sorrow and grief, and with calm and complete submission to the will of God, Majdal Shams mourns the loss of its finest children and youths who were struck in the village stadium attack,” the village community said in a statement.
Saturday's deadly strike was the most severe incident in the north since Hezbollah began its attack son Israel on October 8, in what it describes as a campaign supporting Palestinians in Gaza.
Dozens of children and youths were playing on the football field when Hezbollah launched a heavy rocket from the Shebaa area in southern Lebanon. According to IDF, it was an Iranian-made Falaq-1 rocket carrying a warhead weighing 50 kilograms (110 lbs.) At least 40 others were also injured in the attack.
The Ziv Medical Center in Safed said on Sunday that a total of 39 wounded were brought to the hospital, one of whom died from his injuries. There are 17 hospitalized in moderate to severe condition, and another 19 are lightly injured.
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Medical teams treat victims of Hezbollah's deadly attack on Majdal Shams
(Photo: Zaka)
The Rambam Healthcare Campus in Haifa treated two vicitims of the attack suffering moderate who were transported there from Majdal Shams and later received three more victims suffering severe wounds that were moved from Ziv. The Baruch Padeh Medical Center in Tiberias treated four more victims suffering severe injuries.
IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi near the scene of the attack
(Video: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
Israel now promises a severe response, but an Israeli official told Sky News last night that there is no intention to ignite a full-scale war. IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi arrived at the massacre site in Majdal Shams late on Saturday and promised "a very significant response." "Our goals are very clear: we will hit Hezbollah hard, push them back, and safely return residents to their homes in the north. We are determined to do this," Halevi said.
He warned that Hezbollah was expected to respond to the Israeli retaliation: "I urge all residents of the area to strictly follow the instructions, as we will respond, the IDF will respond. It knows how to respond forcefully," he said. "Be patient. But when we respond, there may be more attacks here. We must strictly follow the instructions of the Home Front Command because we want to strike Hezbollah very hard but not incur more casualties here. We will fight Hezbollah determinedly and continue doing what is necessary."
Response is delayed for now, pending the security cabinet meeting which will only take place after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returns from the U.S. later in the day. He moved up his departure from Washington amid criticism for initially intending to remain there for longer, as scheduled. Netanyahu denied the accusations. He also promised a severe response to the deadly attack. "Hezbollah will pay a heavy price it has not paid so far," he said.
In a video published by the Prime Minister before his departure, he said Israel "will not remain silent" after the horrific attack: "I was shocked to see the terrible images following Hezbollah's murderous attack on Majdal Shams. Among the victims are small children playing soccer and other victims. Our hearts are broken by these scenes. We embrace the families, embrace the entire Druze community at this difficult time, which is also our difficult time."
Amid what appears to be Hezbollah's fear of a significant escalation, the terrorist organization denied late on Saturday, that it was responsible for the attack on Majdal Shams. The IDF said that this was a lie. "From the analysis of operational systems, it appears that the launch to the center of Majdal Shams was carried out from an area located north of the village of Shebaa in southern Lebanon. According to reliable intelligence information in IDF's possession, the entity behind the launch is the Hezbollah terrorist organization," IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said.