Israel vows retaliation after 12 children killed in rocket attack in occupied Golan Heights

Israeli officials have called for retaliation against Hezbollah following a rocket attack on a football pitch in Majdal Shams in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights that killed at least 12 children and youths on Saturday. The Lebanese Shiite militant group has denied involvement.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Hezbollah "will pay a heavy price for this attack, one that it has not paid so far," according to a statement from his office. The attack "will not go unanswered," it added.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Daniel Hagari described the attack as the most severe on civilians since the October 7 assault by Hamas.

"Hezbollah is behind this disaster and is responsible for its consequences. We embrace the families of the dead and wounded," Hagari stated on social media platform X.

However, Hezbollah denied any involvement, stating it had "absolutely nothing to do with the incident."

The Lebanese government also condemned "all acts of violence and aggression against civilians," calling the attack a violation of international law and humanity. The statement also urged an "immediate cessation of hostilities" following recent cross-border exchanges.

UN special coordinator Tor Wennesland on Sunday condemned the attack and urged all to exercise maximum restraint. "Children continue to bear the burden of the horrific violence plaguing the region," he wrote in a post on his X account, and called for the launch of rockets across the Blue Line to cease immediately.

Meanwhile in Lebanon, four Hezbollah members were killed on Saturday in an Israeli air strike on the southeastern Lebanese village of Kafr Kila, Lebanese military sources told Xinhua.

The sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said an Israeli warplane conducted two raids on houses in Kafr Kila, resulting in the deaths of the Hezbollah members.

On Saturday, Israeli warplanes and drones executed five raids on four villages and towns in the eastern sector of the border area. Israeli artillery also shelled eight towns and villages with approximately 35 shells, causing material damage and fires, which Civil Defense teams worked to extinguish, according to the sources.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah announced it had targeted "an espionage system" in northern Israel and the deployment of enemy soldiers in the area.

No fully functional hospital 

Several primary medical centers in the Gazan city of Khan Younis have been closed due to the Israeli army's demand for evacuation, Gaza-based health authorities said on Saturday.

The health authorities stated that due to the expanding evacuation zones in Khan Younis, several primary healthcare centers and field medical points have been closed, adding it is no longer possible to reopen the European Hospital near the city.

They warned that the increase in the number of displaced people in areas with sewage flows and accumulated waste, without personal hygiene supplies, creates optimal conditions for the spread of diseases such as polio and other illnesses that can rapidly spread among displaced people.

The health authorities cautioned that the further expansion of displacement zones could lead to the evacuation of Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, the only hospital still operating in the area.

The ministry called on international organizations to urgently intervene to protect the remaining health facilities, ensure their continued operation, and provide necessary resources and supplies.

The IDF said on Saturday morning that due to significant "terrorist" activity and rocket fire toward Israel from the southern area of Khan Younis, remaining in this area has become dangerous.

Between July 22 and 25, about 182,000 people were displaced from central and eastern Khan Younis to the Al Mawasi area, labeled as a "humanitarian zone" by Israeli authorities, according to an update from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs on Friday.

None of the 36 hospitals in the Gaza Strip are fully functional, the update said, adding that 16 remain partially functional, with some providing only minimal healthcare services.

The Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has risen to 39,258, Gaza-based health authorities said on Saturday.

(With input from agencies)