On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed his nation after a Hezbollah rocket attack killed 12 children and wounded dozens more on Saturday, vowing consequences for the terror organization.
Netanyahu rushed to leave the United States and traveled back to Israel after the attack, in which a Hezbollah rocket struck a soccer field in the north of Israel while children were running towards a bomb shelter.
“Citizens of Israel, like you, I was horrified. I was horrified to see the terrible images following Hezbollah’s murderous attack on Majdal Shams,” Netanyahu said in a statement in Hebrew. “Among the victims were young children playing soccer, along with other victims. Our hearts are all broken by these scenes.
“We embrace the families, and we embrace the entire Druze community in this difficult moment, which is also our difficult moment,” he added.
“Since I was informed of the disaster, I have been holding continuous security consultations and [began] to expedite our return to the country. I will convene the security cabinet immediately upon my arrival,” Netanyahu continued.
“I can say that the State of Israel will not remain silent. We will not let this go unanswered,” he concluded.
Based on a situational assessment by Yoav Gallant, Israel’s Defense Minister, and the IDF’s Chief of the General Staff LTG Herzi Halevi, the IDF estimated that 30 projectiles were launched into Israel from Lebanon on Saturday. While most of these were intercepted by the nation’s Iron Dome defense system, this particular rocket managed to get through the defenses. The Associated Press reported that Israel was still investigating how it penetrated the Dome.
Israeli Channel 12 reported that Foreign Minister Israel Katz said on a TV news show, “We are approaching the moment of an all-out war in the north against Hezbollah, we will react in a disproportionate way,” the outlet published in a note on X.
On Saturday shortly after the attack, Katz said that he and Netanyahu agreed that “Hezbollah crossed all red lines,” and that Israel was now “facing an all-out war” with the Lebanese terrorist organization. He also said that when Israel retaliates, they will have the “full backing” of the United States.
On Saturday evening, the Biden White House issued a statement condemning the strike and reaffirming the United States’ support for Israel.
“We condemn this horrific attack that reportedly killed a number of teenagers and children playing soccer on a Saturday evening in the village of Majdal Shams in northern Israel. Our hearts go out to the families of those who lost loved ones today, and we are praying for a speedy recovery for those who have been injured,” the White House said, per Fox News.
“Israel continues to face severe threats to its security, as the world saw today, and the United States will continue to support efforts to end these terrible attacks along the Blue Line, which must be a top priority,” the statement continued. “Our support for Israel’s security is iron-clad and unwavering against all Iranian backed terrorist groups, including Lebanese Hezbollah.”
