![]() | This article documents a
current event. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses, and initial news reports may be
unreliable. The
latest updates to this article
may not reflect the most current information. (July 2024) |
Majdal Shams attack | |
---|---|
Part of the Israel–Hezbollah conflict (2023–present) | |
Location within the Golan | |
Location | Majdal Shams, Golan Heights |
Coordinates | 33°15′58.4″N 35°46′05.9″E / 33.266222°N 35.768306°E |
Date | 27 July 2024 ( UTC+02:00) |
Attack type | Undetermined |
Deaths | 11 |
Injured | 34+ |
Perpetrator | Israel claims Hezbollah; denied by Hezbollah |
On 27 July 2024, an explosive projectile hit the Druze town of Majdal Shams in the northern Golan Heights. The projectile directly struck a local soccer field, killing 11 teenagers and young adults, all aged between 10 and 20. [1] [2] At least 34 people were injured. [3] Dozens of others with injuries ranging in severity were transported to hospitals by Magen David Adom teams and IDF helicopters. [1]
The attack occurred amid broader regional tensions, as Hezbollah, supported by Iran, began launching rockets at northern Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights following the Hamas-led attack on Israel on 7 October 2023 and subsequent Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip, sparking a renewed Israel–Hezbollah conflict. Since October, 90,000 Lebanese civilians and 60,000 Israeli civilians have been displaced. [4]
Following Hamas' October 7 attack, Hezbollah joined the conflict the next day, launching guided rockets and drone attacks at Israeli communities and military installations in Galilee and the Golan Heights. This Israel–Hezbollah conflict has displaced entire communities in Israel and Lebanon, with significant damage to buildings and land along the border. As of 5 July 2024, Israel reports having killed approximately 366 Hezbollah operatives with over 100 Lebanese civilians confirmed killed. According to the UN, over 90,000 people in Lebanon have been forced to flee their homes, while in Israel, 60,000 civilians have evacuated. [5] Israel and Hezbollah have maintained their attacks at a level that causes significant harm without escalating into a full-scale war. [6]
Hezbollah employed advanced Iranian-origin missiles, including the Falaq-1 rocket system, in its attacks against Israel. [7] In response to a similar attack in June, which injured civilians on a soccer field in the Druze town of Hurfeish, Israel targeted military sites deep within Lebanon. [6]
Before the attack, Hezbollah took responsibility for a rocket attack near the town in retaliation for the killing of four Hezbollah operatives earlier in the village of Kafr Kila. [8] [9] [2] According to Hezbollah-affiliated news channel Al-Mayadeen, the militant group fired 100 rockets total in various attacks. [10]
At 6:18 pm, alarms sounded in Majdal Shams following a barrage to the north. [11] A projectile then hit and exploded at a soccer field in the town, located near a playground. According to initial reports, eleven people were wounded, with five in critical condition and six in serious condition. [11] [12] Emergency services, including Magen David Adom (MDA), treated the critically injured, aged between 10 to 20, some of whom were transferred to local clinics. A senior MDA paramedic described the scene as one of destruction with victims lying on the grass. [8] [12]
According to residents, the children were playing soccer during the attack and while the warning siren activated, it was only a few seconds before the rocket hit the field leaving no time to seek shelter. [13]
A senior Hezbollah official, Mohammad Afif, said that the group was not responsible for the attack on Majdal Shams. [14] [15] The IDF stated that they had performed an assessment and concluded that Hezbollah was responsible for the rocket attack. [16] Iranian state media pointed to reports that an Iron Dome interceptor may have been to blame. [17] [18]
Israeli authorities have characterized it as the deadliest attack on "Israeli civilians" since the October 7 attacks. [19] Israeli Police and Northern District detectives secured the crash site and conducting a search for additional remains to eliminate any further risk to the public. [10] Col. Avichay Adraee, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman, claimed the attack was conducted by Ali Muhammad Yahya, who is a commander in a rocket launching site in Chebaa. [20]
Daniel Sobelman from Harvard Kennedy School highlighted that the strike was "the most serious in Israel in nine months of fighting between the country and militants in Lebanon." [6]
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![]() | This article documents a
current event. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses, and initial news reports may be
unreliable. The
latest updates to this article
may not reflect the most current information. (July 2024) |
Majdal Shams attack | |
---|---|
Part of the Israel–Hezbollah conflict (2023–present) | |
Location within the Golan | |
Location | Majdal Shams, Golan Heights |
Coordinates | 33°15′58.4″N 35°46′05.9″E / 33.266222°N 35.768306°E |
Date | 27 July 2024 ( UTC+02:00) |
Attack type | Undetermined |
Deaths | 11 |
Injured | 34+ |
Perpetrator | Israel claims Hezbollah; denied by Hezbollah |
On 27 July 2024, an explosive projectile hit the Druze town of Majdal Shams in the northern Golan Heights. The projectile directly struck a local soccer field, killing 11 teenagers and young adults, all aged between 10 and 20. [1] [2] At least 34 people were injured. [3] Dozens of others with injuries ranging in severity were transported to hospitals by Magen David Adom teams and IDF helicopters. [1]
The attack occurred amid broader regional tensions, as Hezbollah, supported by Iran, began launching rockets at northern Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights following the Hamas-led attack on Israel on 7 October 2023 and subsequent Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip, sparking a renewed Israel–Hezbollah conflict. Since October, 90,000 Lebanese civilians and 60,000 Israeli civilians have been displaced. [4]
Following Hamas' October 7 attack, Hezbollah joined the conflict the next day, launching guided rockets and drone attacks at Israeli communities and military installations in Galilee and the Golan Heights. This Israel–Hezbollah conflict has displaced entire communities in Israel and Lebanon, with significant damage to buildings and land along the border. As of 5 July 2024, Israel reports having killed approximately 366 Hezbollah operatives with over 100 Lebanese civilians confirmed killed. According to the UN, over 90,000 people in Lebanon have been forced to flee their homes, while in Israel, 60,000 civilians have evacuated. [5] Israel and Hezbollah have maintained their attacks at a level that causes significant harm without escalating into a full-scale war. [6]
Hezbollah employed advanced Iranian-origin missiles, including the Falaq-1 rocket system, in its attacks against Israel. [7] In response to a similar attack in June, which injured civilians on a soccer field in the Druze town of Hurfeish, Israel targeted military sites deep within Lebanon. [6]
Before the attack, Hezbollah took responsibility for a rocket attack near the town in retaliation for the killing of four Hezbollah operatives earlier in the village of Kafr Kila. [8] [9] [2] According to Hezbollah-affiliated news channel Al-Mayadeen, the militant group fired 100 rockets total in various attacks. [10]
At 6:18 pm, alarms sounded in Majdal Shams following a barrage to the north. [11] A projectile then hit and exploded at a soccer field in the town, located near a playground. According to initial reports, eleven people were wounded, with five in critical condition and six in serious condition. [11] [12] Emergency services, including Magen David Adom (MDA), treated the critically injured, aged between 10 to 20, some of whom were transferred to local clinics. A senior MDA paramedic described the scene as one of destruction with victims lying on the grass. [8] [12]
According to residents, the children were playing soccer during the attack and while the warning siren activated, it was only a few seconds before the rocket hit the field leaving no time to seek shelter. [13]
A senior Hezbollah official, Mohammad Afif, said that the group was not responsible for the attack on Majdal Shams. [14] [15] The IDF stated that they had performed an assessment and concluded that Hezbollah was responsible for the rocket attack. [16] Iranian state media pointed to reports that an Iron Dome interceptor may have been to blame. [17] [18]
Israeli authorities have characterized it as the deadliest attack on "Israeli civilians" since the October 7 attacks. [19] Israeli Police and Northern District detectives secured the crash site and conducting a search for additional remains to eliminate any further risk to the public. [10] Col. Avichay Adraee, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman, claimed the attack was conducted by Ali Muhammad Yahya, who is a commander in a rocket launching site in Chebaa. [20]
Daniel Sobelman from Harvard Kennedy School highlighted that the strike was "the most serious in Israel in nine months of fighting between the country and militants in Lebanon." [6]
{{
cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (
link)
{{
cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (
link)
{{
cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (
link)