MAJDAL SHAMS—Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed a “severe” response to a deadly strike that killed youths in the annexed Golan Heights, as diplomats raced to contain escalation between Israel and Hezbollah.
On a visit to the site of the rocket strike which killed 12 children in the town of Majdal Shams, Netanyahu said: “The State of Israel will not, and cannot, let this pass. Our response will come and it will be severe.”
He was greeted by protests during the visit, which came after mourners gathered in the Druze Arab town to bury the last victim, 11-year-old Guevara Ibrahim.
Israel and the United States have blamed the strike on Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah movement, which has traded near-daily fire with Israeli forces since war in Gaza began between Hamas militants and Israel in early October.
In Lebanon, Israeli missiles struck two air defense bases in southern Syria overnight, a war monitor said Tuesday, as tensions surge on Israel’s northern border after a deadly rocket strike on the annexed Golan Heights.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported no casualties in the overnight strikes in Daraa province, which abuts the armistice line separating Syrian and Israeli forces on the Golan.
Syria’s state-run media did not report any strikes.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed a “severe” response to Saturday’s strike, which killed 12 youths in a Druze Arab town in the Golan.
“The State of Israel will not, and cannot, let this pass. Our response will come and it will be severe,” he said on a visit to the town of Majdal Shams on Monday.
He was greeted by protests during the visit, which came after mourners gathered in the town to bury the last victim, 11-year-old Guevara Ibrahim.
Israel and the United States have blamed the strike on Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah movement, which has traded near-daily fire with Israeli forces since the war in Gaza between Hamas militants and Israel began in October last year.
Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib said a flurry of diplomatic activity has sought to contain the anticipated Israeli response.
Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib said a flurry of diplomatic activity has sought to contain the anticipated Israeli response.
“Israel will escalate in a limited way and Hezbollah will respond in a limited way… These are the assurances we’ve received,” Bou Habib said in an interview with local broadcaster Al-Jadeed.
Several analysts told AFP that this was likely to be the case, with Israel wary of having to fight wars on two fronts.
The United States, France and others were trying to contain the escalation, Habib added, while Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said “talks are ongoing with international, European and Arab sides to protect Lebanon and ward off dangers.”
