Closer to a full-blown war with Hezbollah in Lebanon.
On Saturday, late afternoon, Druze children and teenagers in the town of Majdal Shams went out to play soccer.
Twelve of them, aged 10 to 16, were killed by a Hezbollah rocket that hit right on the field where they were playing. Many more were injured; at least two are in critical condition.
Funerals for 11 of the 12 have been held – one child is missing. At least five children are reportedly from the same family. Horrendous.
There is a great deal of bitterness in the Druze community now because of a sense that the north was left vulnerable.
~~~~~~~~~~
This is the worst attack on Israelis since October 7. What is being called for is a more intense response than what has become the norm in the tit-for-tat interaction between Israel and Hezbollah since the war with Hamas began. A more intense response is essential. The question is, just how intense. Minister Ben Gvir is calling for war.
~~~~~~~~~~
Hezbollah began shelling in the north of Israel on October 8, in support of Hamas. One of the goals of that shelling was to draw focus and fighting energy away from our battle with Hamas. Mindful of this, the IDF responded when shelled but moderately; sometimes we took out Hezbollah commanders. Our fighting focus remained on Hamas – as perhaps it had to. But opportunities to weaken Hezbollah, for example by taking out weapons caches, were neglected (or avoided).
There was talk about the fact that neither Hezbollah nor Israel wanted a full war and that it might be avoided. We would finish Lebanon at the end of such a war, but not without severe damage to Israel.
Yet in the meantime we took hits that were unacceptable – driving tens of thousands of the residents of the Galil to flee south and damaging farms and nature land in the north.
~~~~~~~~~~
The hit on Saturday likely changed the equation. At first, Hezbollah denied responsibility for this attack. But the IDF responded very quickly with specific information regarding the attack:
Col. Avichay Adraee, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman (pictured), named the Hezbollah commander who directed the deadly rocket attack on Majdal Shams: Ali Muhammad Yahya. He is the commander of a rocket launching site in the Chebaa area in southern Lebanon.
From a press conference at the scene, IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari reported that the rocket that struck the children was an Iranian-made Falaq-1 rocket.
“A Falaq-1 rocket struck here in the soccer field, it is an Iranian rocket, manufactured in Iran, a rocket with a warhead of over 50 kilograms of explosives…The forensic findings at the scene point to this rocket. Falaq-1 is only in use by the Hezbollah terror group.”
~~~~~~~~~~
IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi went to the soccer field where the attack took place yesterday and met with leader of the Druze community, Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif (pictured), as well as other community leaders.
The Falaq rocket used by Hezbollah, Halevi said, carried a 53 kg warhead. This is a powerful rocket, utilized with intent to do severe damage when aimed at a civilian area. “We are greatly increasing our readiness for the next stage of fighting in the north.”
~~~~~~~~~~
Prime Minister Netanyahu was in the US when this happened, having delivered his speech to Congress, as well as having met with President Biden, VP and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Harris and former president and presidential Republican nominee Trump over the course of the last week. (Much of which I will discuss in a subsequent posting.)
He was in contact with security officials and members of the Druze community – most notably community leader Sheikh Tarif – as soon as this happened. He pledged to the leaders of the Druze community that Hezbollah would pay a heavy price “that it has not paid to this point.”
The prime minister pushed up the time of his departure from the US in order to return here more quickly. At this point, as I write, he may well have landed already.
Chief of Staff Halevi has held a situational assessment and a meeting for the approval of operational plans for the northern arena with top staff.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/393735
It is clear, however, that no decision will be made until our prime minister has joined the discussions and made final decisions.
~~~~~~~~~~
I am seeing responses in certain quarters of the international community that are just so nauseatingly typical and so enraging:
Secretary of State Blinken, while acknowledging that Hezbollah caused the deaths of Druze children, cautioned that there should not be an “escalation.”
https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-812185
The fact that Hezbollah has escalated is apparently beside the point. Once again, he covers for our enemies.
And worse:
UN and EU officials both condemned the Hezbollah attack innocent children but called for “restraint.”
Said Joseph Borrell Fontelles, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and Vice President of the EU Commission. “I strongly condemn this bloodbath. We need an independent international investigation into this unacceptable incident…”
An independent international investigation? Beyond ludicrous, but anything to tie Israel’s hands.
Would such an investigation point fingers at the failure to enact UN Resolution 1701, which was to see Hezbollah disarmed and kept behind the Litani River?
~~~~~~~~~~
Last here, a look at the Druze. Arabic-speaking, and identifying as Arab, they are a unique ethno-religious community. Their tradition dates back to the 11th century and incorporates elements of Islam, Hinduism and even classical Greek philosophy. They are a proud and insular community, rarely marrying outside their own.
They are located in Syria, Lebanon and Israel. In Israel they number approximately 140,00 and are found primarily in the Galil and the Golan. A significant number live in four towns in the Golan, Majdal Shams being one of them.
~~~~~~~~~~
The Israeli Druze are not only loyal Israeli citizens, they have a unique tradition: They are drafted into the IDF – conscripted by law since 1957, when their leaders formed a voluntary “covenant of blood” with the Jewish state. No other Arabs are drafted. It was at this point that the Israeli government formally recognized them as an independent religious community and Druze courts were established.
~~~~~~~~~~
Keep praying to Heaven for Israel. Pray that the tears might be lifted from our hearts.
Pray for the strength and wisdom of our leaders, for the safety of our soldiers, and for the rescue of our hostages.
Pray in a spirit of hope.
~~~~~~~~~~
©Arlene Kushner. This material is produced by independent journalist Arlene Kushner. Permission is granted for it to be reproduced only with proper attribution.
