BEIRUT (Sputnik) - The Lebanese government has condemned the recent attack on the town of Majdal Shams in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights, according to a statement obtained by Sputnik Saturday.
Earlier in the day Israel's Magen David Adom ambulance service told Sputnik that 10 people had been killed in the Golan Heights as a result of shelling from across the border in Lebanon. Israeli military spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari later claimed 11 had been killed, with children and teenagers among the dead from the strike on a sports field.
By early Sunday morning the Times of Israel newspaper reported the death toll had risen to 12.
"The Lebanese government condemns all sorts of violence and attacks against civilians and is urging an immediate ceasefire on all fronts," the statement read.
The government added that "attacks on civilians are a gross violation of international law, contradicting the principles of humanity."
Israel has blamed Hezbollah for the incident, which has heightened tensions in the region, but the Lebanese armed group has denied involvement. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cut short a visit to the United States after news of the event, with his office claiming he would return to Tel Aviv "as quickly as possible."
Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has claimed the group will target civilian areas in response to IDF attacks against civilians in Lebanon. The news agency Reuters reported recently that 100 Lebanese civilians and 300 Hezbollah fighters have been killed by Israeli attacks.
At least 22 people in Israel's northern regions – mostly military personnel – have been killed by Hezbollah. Some 60,000 Israelis have been internally displaced by the periodic strikes, which began after the Lebanese group declared an axis of support for Palestinians shortly after Hamas' October 7 surprise attack.
The ongoing fighting has put pressure on Netanyahu to respond, but Israel is widely considered to have lost a previous war against Hezbollah in 2006. The group has dramatically expanded its arsenal of rockets and missiles since then.
The Biden administration has reportedly cautioned Israel against escalation against Hezbollah, fearing a wider regional war that could pull Iran or even the US itself directly into the fray. The IDF has struggled against the more lightly-armed Hamas in the Gaza Strip, with the group recently reemerging in northern and central regions of the enclave as Israel's military operation has moved south.
"What happened today could be the trigger we have been worried about and tried to avoid for 10 months," said one US official to the website Axios. The White House has worked to negotiate a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip to help prevent a conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, so far without success.
"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," read a statement from the US National Security Council (NSC) shared with Sputnik. "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."
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell also condemned the attack, calling for an independent investigation of the incident and urging "all parties to exercise utmost restraint and avoid further escalation" in a post on the X platform.
Israel has occupied the Golan Heights, which is considered Syrian territory under international law, since 1967's Six-Day War. Israel considers Syrian president Bashar al-Assad one of its primary adversaries in the region and has joined the United States in arming Islamist opposition fighters amid the country's years-long civil war.
Israel frequently launches attacks on the neighboring country, destroying airports and other infrastructure as it claims to target Iranian-backed militant groups.