At least 11 children and young adults were killed Saturday in what Israel said was a rocket attack by Lebanese Hezbollah militants that struck a soccer field in a predominantly Arab village in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
Hezbollah said it had "absolutely nothing to do with the incident, and categorically denies all false allegations in this regard" after earlier announcing several rocket attacks against Israeli military positions, Reuters reported.
Israel rejected Hezbaollah's denials, sparking fears that a wider Mideast war would erupt along its northern border
"There is no doubt that Hezbollah has crossed all the red lines here and the response will reflect that," Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz told Israel TV station Channel 12, according to the Associated Press. "We are nearing the moment in which we face an all-out war."
The rocket struck Majdal Shams, a Druze village, shortly before sunset, and video shown on Channel 12 showed a large blast crater, AP said.
The Druze are an Arab minority who practice an offshoot of Islam; some of them are Israeli citizens.
Ha'il Mahmoud, who lives in Majdal Shams, told Channel 12 that children were playing soccer when the rocket hit the field.
A siren sounded seconds before impact but there was no time for anyone to take shelter, he said.
A medic with Israel's Magen David Adom ambulance service described the grisly carnage afterward, according to the Times of Israel.
"We witnessed great destruction when we arrived at the soccer field, as well as items that were on fire. There were casualties on the grass and the scene was gruesome," Idan Avshalom said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who accelerated his return from a trip to the U.S., vowed that Hezbollah will 'pay a heavy price for this attack, one that it has not paid so far."
The attack was the deadliest against Israel since fighting erupted along the Lebanese border following the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks from Gaza.
Those killed ranged in age from 10 to 20, Israeli military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said during a news conference.
"We share in the grief of the families and embrace the Druze community in its difficult time," he said.
The Israeli military said intelligence showed the rocket was launched by Hezbollah from an area north of the Lebanese village Chebaa, which is about six miles from Majdal Shams.
Ten victims were killed at the scene and the 11th died at the Ziv Medical Center in Safed, where 32 people were being treated, including six in the trauma ward, according to the Times of Israel.
Four other casualties were reportedly taken to the Rambam Medical Center in Haifa.f
