Beirut: Lebanon has called for an international investigation into an attack that killed 12 people, including children, on the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, warning against a widespread backlash.
Hezbollah has denied Israeli accusations of attacking Majdal Shams on Saturday, saying in a statement that “the Islamic Resistance Group had nothing to do with the incident and we reject all false allegations in this regard.”
Following Hezbollah's statement, Walid Jumblatt, the former leader of the Socialist Progress Party, the most powerful Druze leader in Lebanon, warned of “what Israel's enemies are doing to stoke conflict, divide the region and target communities.”
His warning came as Israelis carried out heavy attacks on the villages of Al-Abbassieh and Burj Al-Shamali near the southern Lebanese city of Tyre early Sunday, causing widespread destruction.
It also hit the border villages of Tayr Harfa and Khiam and hit a residential building in the Taraya neighborhood in the central Bekaa with two missiles, successfully destroying the building but causing no casualties.
The attack in Majdal Shams came hours after an Israeli raid on the southern border village of Kfarkila that killed four Hezbollah militants.
In a statement, the Lebanese government condemned “violent acts and attacks on all civilians,” adding that “attacks on civilians are a grave violation of international law and are contrary to the principles of humanity.”
Calls for an “immediate cessation of hostilities on all fronts”
“Since the beginning of the war, Hezbollah has been attacking military posts, not civilians, and I do not believe that they carried out the attack in Majdal Shams this time,” Foreign Minister Abdullah Bou Habib said in a statement on Sunday.
“It could be another organization’s plan… It could be Israel’s mistake or it could be Hezbollah’s mistake. I don’t know. We need an international investigation to uncover the truth,” he added.
In a joint statement, Jeanine Hennis-Plaschert, the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, and Lieutenant General Aroldo Lazaro, head of the UNIFIL delegation and commander, condemned “the deaths of civilians, including young children and teenagers, in Majdal Shams,” stressing that “civilians must be protected at all times.”
They called on “all parties to exercise utmost restraint and end the escalating conflict, which could spark a widespread firestorm that would engulf the entire region in an unimaginable catastrophe.”
The UN Special Coordinator spoke by phone with Parliament President Nabih Berri, the most important communication channel with Hezbollah.
According to his press office, Berri insisted that “Lebanon and the opposition adhere to UN Resolution 1701 and the Code of Conduct by refraining from attacking civilians.”
“The opposition’s denial of involvement in the Majdal Shams incident is a strong affirmation of this commitment and underlines that neither Lebanon nor the opposition is responsible for what happened,” Berry added.
UNIFIL spokeswoman Andrea Tenenti said her organization had been in touch with the parties to defuse tensions.
Jumblatt received a call from US mediator for the Middle East, Amos Hochstein, expressing concern about the deteriorating situation in southern Lebanon following the Majdal Shams incident.
Jumblatt tried to defuse the situation, as the majority of Majdal Shams residents were Druze.
“Attacking civilians is rejected and condemned, whether in occupied Palestine, the occupied Golan or in southern Lebanon,” he said, adding that “the history of the Israeli enemy is full of massacres of civilians.”
Activists and supporters on television channels and social media platforms denied Hezbollah involvement in the Majdal Shams attack, saying: “There are no settlers in Majdal Shams that the party can attack and the party knows this.”
Hezbollah's denials were in vain, as the Israeli military insisted on holding the group responsible for the rocket launch.
“Ali Mohammed Yahya, the commander of the Sheba firing base, ordered the rockets to be fired at the village of Majdal Shams,” said Israeli military spokesman Avichai Adrai.
Israeli strikes in Lebanon on Sunday caused massive damage but no casualties. The attacks targeted two large aircraft hangars in Al Abbasieh and Burj Al-Shemali.
The ongoing attacks on the area since the start of the fighting between Hezbollah and the Israeli army have caused panic among the public, with dozens of homes and apartments damaged.
“Seven Israeli warplanes carried out simultaneous strikes,” a Lebanese security source said.
Adrei said the strikes hit Hezbollah targets in seven locations across Lebanon, deep in Lebanon and the south, including weapons depots and infrastructure.
Hezbollah responded to the attack by targeting “Israeli military positions in the Manara settlement,” the party said in a statement.
Israeli officials continued to pledge on Sunday that Hezbollah would pay.
“This is a very difficult and painful event for these children. It is a terrible tragedy. Hezbollah must be held accountable and there must be a retribution,” Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said.
Mr Gallant spoke during a visit to the town of Majdal Shams, where a funeral procession was held for the victims.
Israeli Chief of Staff Gen. Herzi Halevi visited the village of Majdal Shams on Saturday evening, Adrei reported.
Maj. Gen. Halevi inspects attacked football field, confirms readiness for further fighting in the north
“We know exactly where the rocket came from,” he said. “We checked the rocket debris on the wall of the football field here.”
“We can say that it is a Falak rocket with a 53-kilogram warhead. This is a Hezbollah rocket. Whoever fires such a rocket into a populated area, it means that he intends to kill civilians. It means that he intends to kill children.”
Hezbollah is “on high alert and has evacuated some key locations in eastern and southern Lebanon,” Reuters reported, citing two security sources.
France and Norway urge their citizens to “avoid travel to Lebanon and Israel” and urge those in the country to leave Lebanon.
