Netanyahu visits rocket attack site in occupied Golan Heights
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has visited the site of a deadly rocket attack in the town of Majdal Shams in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
Reporting about the visit, he said on X that Israel’s “response will come, and it will be hard”, reiterating that Lebanon’s Hezbollah was behind the attack that killed 12 youth despite the armed group’s denial of any involvement.
He told the Druze community of the region not to lose hope “in the face of the acts of harassment by the evil axis of Iran and Hezbollah”.
Earlier, there were reports of hundreds of Majdal Shams residents objecting to Netanyahu’s visit, trying to prevent him from entering the town and calling him a fascist and a criminal.
The news outlet Israel Hayom broadcast a video, verified by Al Jazeera’s Sanad fact-checking agency, in which residents of the town were heard making angry chants against Netanyahu and demanding that he leave.
מהומות בזמן ביקור רה"מ נתניהו במג'דל שמס: "החוצה, איפה הביטחון?" pic.twitter.com/3kEKCMkNy6
— ישראל היום (@IsraelHayomHeb) July 29, 2024
Translation: Riots during Prime Minister Netanyahu’s visit to Majdal Shams: “Outside, where is the security?”
Hezbollah begins moving missiles amid Israel threat: Report
An official with the Lebanese group has told AP that Hezbollah’s stance has not changed and that it does not want a full-blown war with Israel.
The official added, however, that if a war breaks out, it will fight without limits.
The official, who spoke to the news agency on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military activities, said Hezbollah, since Sunday, has started moving some of its “smart precision-guided missiles” to use if needed.
Hezbollah’s move comes as Israel threatens to launch a “harsh” attack on Lebanon following the weekend strike that killed 12 children in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
Cyprus on standby to help if civilian evacuations needed
Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos says Cyprus is on standby to assist in the evacuation of civilians from the Middle East if the standoff between Israel and Hezbollah escalates.
Speaking to reporters, he said Cypriot authorities have had an emergency response mechanism in place for a possible evacuation of civilians since the start of the war.
“We have established the manner in which the scheme will operate, if needed,” Kombos said.
“We are all hoping it won’t be necessary, but should that not happen, Cyprus will continue to operate as a safety bridge in facilitating the departure of civilians from any embattled zone in our area,” he added.
