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Iran warns of ‘consequences’ of Israeli attacks on Lebanon after Golan strike
“Any ignorant action of the Zionist regime can lead to the broadening of the scope of instability, insecurity and war in the region,” said foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani.
He added that Israel will be responsible for “the unforeseen consequences and reactions to such stupid behavior”.
Hezbollah, which on Saturday claimed multiple attacks on Israeli military positions following a deadly raid on southern Lebanon, has denied responsibility for the rocket fire that Israeli authorities said killed 12 people including children in the Druze town of Majdal Shams.
Kanaani accused Israel of pinning the blame on Hezbollah “to divert public opinion and world attention from its massive crimes” in the Gaza Strip, where war has raged since October 7.
He added that Israel “does not have the least moral authority to comment” on the deaths in Majdal Shams, on the Golan Heights which the country has seized from Syria in 1967 and later annexed in a move not recognized by the United Nations.
The attack sharply escalated tensions in the hostilities which have been fought in parallel to the Gaza war and has raised fears of a full-blown conflict between the heavily armed adversaries.
“Hezbollah will pay a heavy price, the kind it has thus far not paid,” Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a phone call with the leader of the Druze community in Israel, according to a statement from his office.
In a written statement, Hezbollah said: “The Islamic Resistance has absolutely nothing to do with the incident, and categorically denies all false allegations in this regard”.
Hezbollah had earlier announced several rocket attacks targeting Israeli military positions.
The Israeli ambulance service said 13 more people were wounded by the rocket that hit the soccer pitch which was filled at the time with children and teenagers.
The Israeli military said the rocket launch was carried out from an area located north of the village of Chebaa in southern Lebanon.
Netanyahu’s far-right coalition ally, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, called for tough retaliation, including against Hezbollah’s leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.
“For the death of children, Nasrallah should pay with his head. All of Lebanon should pay,” Smotrich posted on X.
The conflict has forced tens of thousands of people in both Lebanon and Israel to leave their homes. Israeli strikes have killed some 350 Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon and more than 100 civilians, including medics, children and journalists.
On the Israeli side, 22 soldiers and 24 civilians have been killed, according to Israeli authorities.
In a statement on X, Lebanon’s Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib urged for an “international investigation or a meeting of the tripartite committee held through UNIFIL to know the truth” about who was responsible for the attack.
He insisted the Lebanese group targets “only military” positions and ruled out them carrying out an intentional attack on civilians in Majdal Shams.
The UK on Sunday condemned the rocket attack and said it was “deeply concerned about the risk of further escalation and destabilization”.
France’s Foreign Ministry also condemned the attack and urged belligerents to avoid escalation.
“France condemns in the strongest terms the particularly fatal attack on the Druze town of Majdal Shams in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights,” the ministry said, calling for “everything to be done to avoid a new military escalation”.