Lebanon Calls for International Investigation into Deadly Strike on Golan Heights
A devastating strike on the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights has killed 12 people, including children, prompting Lebanon to call for an international investigation. The incident has sparked concerns of a large-scale retaliation and a deterioration of the regional situation.
According to the Israeli military, an Iranian-made rocket fired by Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah group hit a football field in Majdal Shams, a Druze Arab town, on Saturday. The strike killed children and teenagers who were playing there.
Hezbollah has denied any involvement in the attack, claiming it had “no connection” to the incident. However, Lebanon’s Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib has urged for an international investigation or a meeting of the tripartite committee held through the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to determine the truth behind the attack.
The tripartite committee consists of military officials from Lebanon and Israel, which are technically at war, together with peacekeepers from UNIFIL. Bou Habib has also called for the complete and comprehensive application of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended a 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah and called for the Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers to be the only armed forces deployed in south Lebanon.
In a statement, Bou Habib warned that a large attack by Israel on Lebanon would lead to a deterioration of the regional situation and spark regional war. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has vowed to “hit the enemy hard” following the strike, while Iran has warned Israel that any new military “adventures” in Lebanon could lead to “unforeseen consequences.”
The cross-border violence since October has killed at least 527 people in Lebanon, most of them fighters but also including 104 civilians. On the Israeli side, 22 soldiers and 24 civilians have been killed, according to Israeli authorities.
The situation remains tense, with Hezbollah continuing to carry out cross-border strikes in support of Gazans and ally Hamas. The group has been acting in response to enemy attacks on south Lebanon villages and homes.
