Dangerous escalation Is there an open war between Israel and Hezbollah?

The rocket attack on a sports field has caused Israel's conflict with Hezbollah to escalate completely. Some observers expect an open war. Answers to the most important questions.

A rocket attack from Lebanon has heightened concerns about a possible major war between Israel and the militant Islamist group Hezbollah. According to Israeli authorities, a rocket from Lebanon hit a soccer field on the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights on Saturday. Twelve children and teenagers were killed and 20 others were injured, the military said. It spoke of the deadliest attack on civilians since the terrorist attack on Israel by the militant Islamist Hamas on October 7, which triggered the Gaza war. Hezbollah denied involvement.

Israel conquered the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Middle East War and annexed them in 1981. A large part of the international community considers the area to be occupied territory.

The rocket attack came at a sensitive time, as Israel and Hamas are negotiating a proposed ceasefire to end the Gaza war and the release of around 110 hostages.

What happened?

Shortly before sunset on Saturday, a rocket hit a football pitch in the town of Majdal Shams, where dozens of children and teenagers were playing. The town is located around twelve kilometers south of Lebanon next to the border with Syria.

"I feel darkness inside and out," said one resident of Majdal Shams, Anan Abu Saleh. "You can't explain it. I saw children, I don't want to say what I saw, but it's terrible, really terrible. We need more security."

Traces of blood could be seen on the football pitch. Rescue workers collected burnt rucksacks and bicycles. On Sunday night, residents placed hundreds of chairs there to hold a memorial service. Residents told Israeli media that there was no other place in the city that could accommodate the tens of thousands of people expected to attend the memorial.

On Sunday morning, many of the bodies were brought to a community center in the city. There, relatives wept at the coffins. At midday, the coffins, draped in white cloths, were taken to the cemetery. There they were lined up for burial.

What could this mean for Lebanon?

Since the beginning of the Gaza war, there have been skirmishes on the border between Israel and Lebanon. The deadly rocket attack and the fact that young people were killed could prompt Israel to respond more forcefully.

The Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia began launching rocket attacks on Israel the day after the Hamas terror attack. Israel responded by attacking Hezbollah's military infrastructure from the air, according to its own statements. Most of the attacks were limited to the border area. However, Israel has also carried out deadly attacks on Hezbollah and Hamas leaders further north in Lebanon. Tens of thousands of people on both the Israeli and Lebanese sides of the border have fled the area.

Since October, more than 500 people have been killed in Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon, most of them Hezbollah members. However, around 90 civilians are also among the dead. On the Israeli side, 22 soldiers and 24 civilians were killed.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Hezbollah would "pay a high price for this attack, one that it has not yet paid". Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi met with representatives of the city of Majdal Shams on Saturday evening. He announced that Israel was preparing "the next phase of fighting" in the north. "We know how to attack even very far from the State of Israel," he said.

Who fired the rocket?

Hezbollah denied responsibility, something it rarely does. However, Halevi said the rocket fired was a Falak-type missile with a 53-kilogram warhead owned by Hezbollah.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in Tokyo on Sunday that all the evidence pointed to it being a Hezbollah missile. Israel had the right to defend itself. However, the USA did not want the conflict to escalate.

The Lebanese government called for an "immediate cessation of hostilities on all fronts". It did not mention the city of Madschdal Shams. The government condemned attacks on civilians.

Iran could also be affected by a broader conflict. Iran warned Israel on Sunday that a strong reaction to the rocket attack would have "unprecedented consequences". In April, Iran fired 300 missiles and drones at Israel in response to the killing of an Iranian general. Most of them were intercepted.

What impact could this have on the war in the Gaza Strip?

According to Egyptian government circles, the rocket attack on the Golan Heights could lend urgency to negotiations on a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. The mediators would insist on a ceasefire in order to avoid an all-out war in the region. "Both fronts are linked," said one source. "A ceasefire in Gaza will lead to a ceasefire with Hezbollah."

Representatives of Egypt, the USA and Qatar were due to meet with Israeli representatives in Rome on Sunday (today) in an effort to reach a ceasefire agreement.