Israel's security cabinet has given Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his defense minister the authority to determine the timing and method of retaliation following a deadly rocket attack on Israel. The attack, which occurred on Saturday evening on the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, killed 12 children and teenagers from the Druze community. Both Israel and the U.S. attribute the strike to the Lebanese Shia militant group Hezbollah, though Hezbollah has denied involvement.
The incident is the deadliest cross-border attack in recent months, raising concerns that ongoing hostilities could escalate into full-scale war. Western governments are urging Israel to exercise restraint. The White House has been in continuous discussions with Israeli and Lebanese officials and is working on a diplomatic solution to prevent further attacks along the Blue Line, the unofficial border between Israel and Lebanon.
On Monday morning, an Israeli drone strike near the Lebanese town of Shaqra, about 6.5 kilometers from the Israeli border, killed two people identified by Hezbollah as its fighters. Israel has not commented on this report. Meanwhile, Air France has joined other airlines, including Lufthansa, Swiss International Air Lines, and Eurowings, in suspending flights to and from Beirut due to the anticipation of Israeli retaliation.
In Majdal Shams, where the attack occurred, thousands gathered for the funerals of the young victims, expressing profound grief. The Druze community, which has lived in the Golan Heights for centuries, is particularly devastated by the attack. Although many in the area have retained allegiance to Syria, Israel has governed the Golan Heights since capturing it from Syria in the 1967 war. Out of approximately 21,000 residents, about 20% have accepted Israeli citizenship.
The attack has sparked outrage across Israel and within the Druze community, which numbers about 110,000 in the country. Prime Minister Netanyahu cut short a visit to the U.S. and returned to Israel to address the situation. Following a security cabinet meeting, his office stated that the cabinet had authorized the prime minister and defense minister to decide on the response to Hezbollah.
In a condolence call to Sheikh Muafak Ṭarif, the spiritual leader of Israel’s Druze community, Netanyahu vowed that Hezbollah would "pay a heavy price." Hezbollah has denied responsibility for the attack, suggesting instead that it was caused by a malfunctioning Israeli interceptor missile.
Israeli military Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi confirmed that the rocket was an Iranian-made Falaq with a 53-kilogram warhead, asserting it was fired by Hezbollah. He emphasized that such attacks are intended to target civilians. Tensions between Israel and Hezbollah have intensified since Hezbollah's rocket attacks on Israeli positions following Hamas's deadly assault on Israel on October 7. Hezbollah claims its actions are in support of the Palestinians.
