THE NEW YORK TIMES: Tensions have soared between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah since a strike on Saturday in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights killed children and teenagers playing soccer.
Israel carried out a strike in Beirut on Tuesday night, retaliating for an assault that killed 12 children and teenagers in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights over the weekend. The Israeli military said it had targeted a commander whom it blamed for the attack, fueling Western concerns that Israel’s long-running conflict with the powerful Lebanese militia Hezbollah could escalate further.
The Israeli strike was the second time during the war that the Israeli military has targeted Lebanon’s capital, after the killing of a senior Hamas leader there in January.
The explosion in Beirut came after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that there would be a “severe” response for the Golan Heights attack, which hit a field where young people were playing soccer. Israel blamed Hezbollah, and the group denied responsibility for the assault, which landed in the Druse Arab village of Majdal Shams. Western officials had urged Israel to exercise restraint in its response. » | Ronen Bergman, Adam Rasgon and Euan Ward | Tuesday, July 30, 2024
