Grief, anger in Golan Heights as thousands mourn children killed in devastating rocket strike

A wave of grief and anger swept through the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on Sunday as thousands gathered to mourn the young lives lost in a tragic rocket strike.

The attack, which took place on a football field in Majdal Shams, left 12 people dead, most of them children. The funerals, marked by deep sorrow and simmering rage, have drawn global attention and urgent calls for de-escalation from world leaders.

Members of the Druze community, to which the victims belonged, were seen weeping and wailing as they carried the caskets through the streets of Majdal Shams. Israeli media reported that the mourners expressed their anger towards government officials present at the ceremony, blaming them for the tragic loss.

“Now you come here? Ten months you didn’t come!” a man in a military uniform shouted at Housing Minister Nir Barkat and Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman, a sentiment met with applause from the crowd.

The White House has accused Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant group, of carrying out the attack, a claim echoed by the Israeli government. Hezbollah, however, denies any involvement. The political fallout from the attack has been swift, with global leaders condemning the violence and scrambling to prevent further escalation.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) responded to the incident by targeting Hezbollah positions in Lebanon overnight, while Hezbollah retaliated with strikes on two Israeli military bases. This exchange of fire has heightened tensions along the border, which have been simmering since Hezbollah began launching rockets into Israeli territory following a Hamas attack on Israel on October 7.

Saturday’s strike, which claimed the lives of 10 children aged 10 to 16, represents the deadliest incident along Israel’s northern border since October.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who cut short his trip to the United States to address the crisis, vowed that Hezbollah would “pay a heavy price.” He convened a meeting with military chiefs to evaluate the situation and plan further actions.

The funerals in Majdal Shams painted a poignant picture of communal grief. Men wearing traditional red-topped white hats carried the white-covered caskets, while women in black abayas laid flowers on them. Large photographs of the deceased children were prominently displayed, highlighting the profound loss felt by the community.

“Our community is very close-knit. These children are like children of everybody in the village,” said Fadi Mahmud, a local resident.

Amid the mourning, there was palpable anger directed at Israeli government officials. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich was heckled by mourners, with some shouting, “We’re tired of your promises!” A video circulating on social media showed people surrounding Smotrich, hurling curses and demanding his departure.

In a letter, a Druze community leader had reportedly requested that government ministers refrain from attending the funerals to avoid politicizing the tragedy. The Druze, an Arabic-speaking ethnic group, have a significant presence in the Golan Heights, Lebanon, Syria, and northern Israel. While Druze in Israel enjoy full citizenship rights, those in the Golan Heights primarily retain allegiance to Syria, complicating their relationship with the Israeli state.

The international community remains largely unrecognizing of Israel’s 1981 annexation of the Golan Heights from Syria. Global leaders have spoken out against the strike, calling for restraint and a de-escalation of tensions. UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy condemned the attack in a post on X, urging Hezbollah to cease its assaults and expressing concern over the potential for further destabilization.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated Washington’s support for Israel’s right to self-defense but also cautioned against escalating the conflict. Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bouhabib suggested that the attack might have been a mistake, either by Hezbollah or the Israelis, and called for a ceasefire on all fronts.