At least 12 children were killed and dozens were injured as a rocket missile hit a football pitch they were playing on in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, said the Israeli authorities.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said that a rocket was fired by the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah which fell on the Druze town of Majdal Shams. The militant group, which has vowed support to Hamas, has however, denied the claim, reported BBC.
Vowing retaliation, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the group would "pay a heavy price".
ALSO READ: Priyanka Gandhi Calls Israeli PM Netanyahu 'Barbaric', Demands End To ‘Genocidal Actions’ In Gaza
A statement by the United Nations stressed that "maximum restraint" was crucial for all parties as the incident had the potential to trigger an all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah. The two forces have been regularly exchanging fire since the outbreak of the Israel-Gaza war on October 7.
The Saturday attack was the deadliest loss of life on Israel's northern border since the October 7 war.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah spokesperson Mohamad Afif denied responsibility for the attack. As per the BBC report, the militant group has told the United Nations that the explosion was caused by an Israeli interceptor rocket.
All those killed in the attack were between the ages of 10 and 20, said the Israeli authorities, although the Israeli media reported that some were younger.
Majdal Shams is among the four villages in the Golan Heights, where around 25,000 members of the Arabic-speaking Druze religious and ethnic group live.
Following the strike, Netanyahu spoke to the spiritual leader of Israel's Druze community, Sheikh Muafak Tarif, said the PM's Office, and vowed that Israel would not sit idly, reported The Times of Israel.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu made clear that Israel will not allow the murderous attack to simply pass on by, and that Hezbollah will pay a heavy price for this that it has not paid until this point,” his office said.