Three days after the devastating rocket strike in Majdal Shams, which killed 12 children and teenagers, new footage has emerged which shows the harrowing moment of impact on a soccer field. The attack also left more than 30 people injured, some of whom remain hospitalized.
The moment the rockets fell
In the newly released footage, the terrified shouts of a woman with several children near a playground adjacent to the soccer field can be heard. They express their anxiety as an rocket warning alarm blares in the background. Moments later, the rocket strikes the soccer field in the village. This footage aligns with accounts from several residents, who reported that their fears were heightened when an alarm was triggered in a nearby community, while the alert for Majdal Shams was delayed – sounding only after the rocket had struck.
Simultaneously, a Hezbollah official stated on Tuesday evening that the terrorist organization has rejected requests from international representatives to refrain from responding to an Israeli attack in Lebanon, which was in retaliation for the massacre in Majdal Shams. Reuters reported that the official did not specify which countries approached Hezbollah with this request aimed at averting a "full-scale war."
"The representatives approached us indirectly," the official stated, reiterating that Hezbollah "explicitly rejected the request." He also said that, according to these representatives, diplomatic efforts are also being made with Israel. "We do not trust the enemy," he said. It was further reported that Hezbollah is not afraid of a ground invasion by Israeli forces and is prepared for a significant offensive.
President Isaac Herzog visited the Galilee Medical Center on Tuesday to see Adam Alshaar, a 12-year-old who was among the dozens injured in the explosion. Herzog's office stated that he spoke with Adam, inquired about his and his family's well-being, and wished him and all the injured a speedy recovery.
Additionally, it was reported that Adam's parents shared the harrowing moments of the incident and their ongoing struggles with Herzog. Adam's father, Khaled, recounted: "Three seconds after the alarm sounded off, the explosion happened. I knew Adam was on the field, and I received a message that the explosion occurred there. I arrived without knowing what to expect. I started looking for his shirt with the number 10. I couldn't find it; I began turning over the bodies that were there, thinking it was the end. I told myself, 'That's it, my son is lost. Gone.' Until someone grabbed him and said to me, 'Listen, here's your son.'" Adam's mother, Amal, added: "We want peace, not war. The whole country wants peace. It hurts me deeply what happened."