BEIRUT: Lebanon warned of massive retaliation on Sunday, calling for an international investigation into an airstrike that killed 12 people, including children, in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights.
Hezbollah denied accusations that Israel bombed Majdal Shams on Saturday, saying in a statement that “the Islamic Resistance had absolutely nothing to do with this incident and we categorically reject all false allegations in this regard.”
Following Hezbollah's statement, Walid Jumblatt, Lebanon's most powerful Druze leader and former head of the Progressive Socialist Party, warned of “what Israel's enemies are doing to foment conflict, divide the region and target different communities.”
His warning came as Israel launched intensive airstrikes on the villages of al-Abassi and Burj al-Shamali near Tyre in southern Lebanon on Sunday morning, causing widespread destruction.
They also raided the border towns of Tair Harfa and Qiam and struck a residential building in Taraya in the central Bekaa with two missiles, destroying it but causing no casualties.
The attack in Majdal Shams came hours after Israel struck the southern border town of Kfar Qila, killing four Hezbollah members.
The Lebanese government condemned “all acts of violence and attacks against civilians” in a statement, adding that “targeting civilians is a blatant violation of international law and goes against humanitarian principles.”
It called for “an immediate cessation of hostilities on all fronts.”
“Since the start of the war, Hezbollah has targeted military installations, not civilians, and we do not believe that it carried out this attack in Majdal Shams,” Foreign Minister Abdullah Bu Habib said in a statement on Sunday.
He added: “It could have been planned by another organization… It could have been an Israeli mistake, it could have been Hezbollah's mistake. I don't know. We need an international investigation to find out the truth.”
In a joint statement, UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Janine Henis-Plashart and Lt. Gen. Aroldo Lazaro, head of the UNIFIL mission and military commander, condemned “the killings of civilians, including children and adolescents, in Majdal Shams” and stressed that “civilians must be protected at all times.”
They “urged the parties concerned to exercise utmost restraint and cease the ongoing fierce firefight, as this could result in an unbelievably large fire that could devastate the entire area.”
The UN special coordinator spoke by phone with Parliament Speaker Nabi Berri, who is considered the most important channel of communication with Hezbollah.
According to his press office, Berri assured that “Lebanon and its resistance forces are committed to complying with UN Resolution 1701 and the rules of engagement by not targeting civilians.”
“The denial of any involvement by the resistance in the Majdal Shams incident is a strong reaffirmation of this commitment and underscores that neither Lebanon nor the resistance are responsible for what happened,” Berry added.
UNIFIL spokesman Andrea Tenenti said his organization was in contact with the parties to try to defuse tensions.
Jumblatt received a call from Amos Hochstein, an American mediator in the Middle East, who expressed concern about the escalating situation on the southern front in Lebanon following the Majdal Shams incident.
Since most of the population of Majdal Shams is Druze, Jumblatt tried to ease the situation.
“Targeting civilians, whether in occupied Palestine, the occupied Golan or southern Lebanon, is rejected and condemned,” he said, adding that “the history of Israel’s enemies is replete with massacres of civilians.”
Activists and supporters on TV channels and social media platforms denied Hezbollah's involvement in the Majdal Shams attack, saying “there are no Majdal Shams settlers that Hezbollah would target, and Hezbollah knows that.”
Hezbollah's denials were of no avail, and the Israeli military insisted that Hezbollah be held responsible for the rocket launches.
“The commander of the Sheva launch pad, Ali Mohammed Yahya, gave the order to fire the rockets toward the village of Majdal Shams,” said Avichai Adriai, an Israeli military spokesman.
Israeli airstrikes on Sunday in Lebanon caused massive destruction but no casualties. The strikes targeted two large hangars, in al-Abashi and Burj al-Shemali.
Since the start of hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, regular airstrikes have taken place in the area, causing panic among residents and damaging dozens of homes and apartments.
“Seven Israeli warplanes struck simultaneously,” a Lebanese security source said.
Adri claimed the airstrikes struck Hezbollah targets in seven provinces across Lebanon, as well as weapons depots and infrastructure deep in Lebanon and in the south.
Hezbollah responded with strikes targeting “Israeli military positions in the Manara settlement,” according to a statement from the party.
Israeli officials continued to vow on Sunday to make Hezbollah pay a price.
Defense Minister Yoav Galant said: “This is a very difficult and painful incident for these children. It is a terrible tragedy. Hezbollah is responsible for this and they will pay the price.”
Galant spoke during a visit to Majdal Shams, where the funeral procession for the victims was held.
According to Adri, Israeli Chief of Staff General Herzi Halevi visited Majdal Shams on Saturday evening.
General Halevi inspected the attacked football field and assured that preparations were in place for the next phase of fighting in the north.
“We know exactly where the rocket was launched,” he said. “We examined 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 at a populated area intends to kill civilians, to kill children.”
Reuters, citing two security sources, reported that Hezbollah was “on high alert and has evacuated several key facilities in eastern and southern Lebanon.”
France and Norway have urged their citizens to “avoid travel to Lebanon and Israel” and asked those in those countries to leave the country.
