The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates announced on Sunday that Israeli forces were responsible for the rocket attack on the town of Majdal Shams in the occupied Golan Heights on Saturday. In a statement on its Facebook page, the Ministry condemned the attack as a “heinous crime” committed by Israeli forces and accused Israel of falsely blaming Hezbollah for the incident.
The statement held Israel fully accountable for the dangerous escalation in the region. It emphasized that the people of the occupied Syrian Golan, who have steadfastly maintained their Arab Syrian identity throughout decades of Israeli occupation, would not be deceived by Israeli lies and false accusations against the Lebanese national resistance. The statement further noted that the residents of the Syrian Golan have always been and will continue to be an integral part of the resistance against the occupier and its aggressive policies.
The Majdal Shams incident resulted in the deaths of at least 12 people and injuries to more than 30 others. The Israeli army blamed Hezbollah for the attack, which the group vehemently denied. In response, Israel vowed to retaliate, with far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir urging Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to convene the cabinet immediately and declare war in the north.
Meanwhile, the Lebanese government called for an immediate halt to hostilities on all fronts and condemned all acts of violence against civilians. The ongoing clashes between Hezbollah and the Israeli army have been escalating for over nine months, with daily operations expanding along the southern border from Ras Naqoura to the Shebaa Farms. This conflict has caused extensive destruction of Lebanese border villages and the displacement of their residents, as well as the evacuation of Israeli settlements near the border with Lebanon.
