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| The attack on Majdal Shams killed 12 children and young people from the minority Druze community |
The deadly attack on a playground in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights has fueled fears of another war in the region.
Israel claimed responsibility for the attack, although the group has denied it.
What happened in the Golan Heights attack?
On the evening of Saturday, July 27, an explosion occurred in the playground of the village of Majdal Shams, where twelve children and youths of the Druze minority lost their lives. This is the deadliest incident on or near Israel's border with Lebanon since the war between Israel and Hezbollah in October. In the year , there was a map that was used in the work of Israel and the whole world. Israel said that Hezbollah used Iranian-made weapons that began with a short distance to Lebanon. The United States blamed Hezbollah. Hezbollah denies involvement.
What is Hezbollah?
Hezbollah is a powerful military and political group based in Lebanon - Israel's neighbor to the north.
Its wing is one of the most powerful forces in the region, with about 200,000 rockets and weapons, and they attack drones. It is different from the Lebanese army and is more powerful.
Hezbollah also has political influence in the Lebanese government.
The move follows the Shiite branch of Islam, sponsored, supported and trained by Iran, a Middle Eastern Shiite power. Hezbollah and its supporters see it as a legitimate opposition movement against Israel, which it claims still owns parts of Lebanon. Hezbollah strongly supports Hamas and the Palestinians and opposes the existence of Israel. The movement is banned as terrorist by Western governments, Israel, the Arab Gulf countries and the Arab League.
Hezbollah has tens of thousands of well-equipped fighters
What is the Golan Heights and why is Israel there?
The Golan Heights is a rocky region in southwestern Syria that extends into northeastern Israel. In the Middle East war of 1967, Israel captured about 1,200 km² (about 460 sq mi) of the Golan Heights, which it invaded in Syria. Israel annexed the territory in 1981, a move that was not recognized by most of the international community. The Trump administration broke decades of US policy by accepting Israel's annexation of the Golan Heights in 2019. It remains in your hands forever. About 20,000 Jews live in the Golan Heights, which is also home to Israeli soldiers and an audience. These decisions are illegal under international law, although Israel disputes this.
Who are the Druze?
The Druze are an Arabic-speaking ethnic and religious group living in Lebanon, Israel, Jordan and Syria. A section of the community has lived in the Golan Heights for centuries. The inhabitants of the Golan Heights left Israeli-occupied Syria in June 1967, when Israel occupied most of it. Majdal Shams is the largest of the four Druze-held cities. Israel granted citizenship to all residents of the Golan Heights, although many chose to maintain their support for Syria. About 20% of the approximately 21,000 Druze living there have accepted or inherited Israeli citizenship. Syrian citizens also live legally in Israel and have many rights of Israeli citizens except the right to vote. Outside the Golan Heights, there are approximately 110,000 Druze with Israeli citizenship. It is the largest community of non-Jews serving in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), part of the country's mandatory military service. There are approximately one million Druze in the world, although estimates vary. Their faith is from the Shia branch of Islam, but their religion is a separate religion with its own traditions and beliefs.
Why might Hezbollah have fired at the Golan Heights?
Hezbollah opened fire on Israeli forces a day after Israel attacked Hamas in the south on October 7. Hezbollah has said it supports the Palestinians. From the two sides constantly exchanged fire, so thousands of people in Lebanon and Israel were forced to leave their homes. Israel's security forces said the rocket that killed the youth was part of a car crash in the Golan Heights. This followed an Israeli attack that killed four Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon.
Since October 8, most Hezbollah attacks have been in northern Israel, with a few attacks in the Golan Heights. However, it has repeatedly targeted Israeli military positions in the Shebaa Farms/Mount Dov area of the Golan Heights, a few kilometers from Majdal Shams.
Hezbollah can count on a muted international response to attacks on Israeli-occupied territories and continued pressure on the Israeli government and military as they wage war in Gaza.
Israel has military positions on part of the Golan Heights called the Shebaa Farms/Mount Dov
What has it all got to do with Hamas and the war in Gaza?
Hezbollah supports Hamas, which has been fighting Israel since October 7, when Hamas militants launched an unprecedented attack on Israel, killing about 1,200 people and wounding 251 others. They have been sent back to Gaza and are being held. Hezbollah launched a second attack on northern Israel the next day, and both sides have been fighting ever since. Both Hamas and Hezbollah are supported by Iran (although Hamas is Sunni Muslim and Hezbollah is Shiite). Both are part of what Iran calls the "Axis of Resistance," an uneasy alliance of pro-Iranian groups across the Middle East that oppose Israel and Israeli leaders in the region. Hezbollah is not involved in the war in Gaza and has said that it will stop shooting Israel if it ends between Israel and Hamas.
