Majdal Shams attack
| Majdal Shams attack | |
|---|---|
| Part of the Israel–Hezbollah conflict (2023–present) | |
The missile impact site on the soccer field after the casualties, both deceased and wounded, were removed | |
Location within the Golan | |
| Location | Majdal Shams, Israeli-occupied Golan Heights |
| Coordinates | 33°15′58.4″N 35°46′05.9″E / 33.266222°N 35.768306°E |
| Date | 27 July 2024 6:18 pm (UTC+02:00) |
Attack type | Rocket attack (according to Israel and the United States) |
| Deaths | 12 Syrian Druze children |
| Injured | At least 42 |
| Accused | Hezbollah (accused by Israel and the United States) |
The Majdal Shams attack, took place on 27 July 2024, when a rocket hit a football pitch in Majdal Shams in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. The resulting blast killed 12 Syrian children belonging to the Druze community and injured at least 42 others, with most of the victims being between the ages of 10 and 16.
Israel blamed Hezbollah for carrying out the attack with an Iranian-made Falaq-1 rocket equipped with a 53-kilogram warhead. Hezbollah said it had targeted a nearby military base and that the football pitch was hit by an errant Israeli Iron Dome air defence projectile. Western sources dismissed this claim, citing expert opinion that the rocket had been fired by Hezbollah or another militant group in Lebanon.
Local authorities denied that the children were Israeli, and local residents protested the attendance of Israeli ministers at the funeral for reasons ranging from opposition to politicization of the tragedy to anger at the Israeli government's perceived neglect of their safety.
The attack occurred amid the Israel–Hezbollah conflict that has been ongoing since 8 October 2023, a regular exchange of attacks that began following the outbreak of the Gaza war. Following the attack, Israel assassinated Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr.