Hezbollah and Lebanon are both trying to distance themselves from responsibility for the massacre of children in Majdal Shams. This is a rare stance for Hezbollah, which usually brags about its attacks. However, it knows that murdering children is not a good look for a group that claims to be “resistance.” Just as Hamas tried to deny its mass murder of civilians on October 7, the Iranian-backed Hezbollah is also running away from what it did in Majdal Shams.
According to Iranian state media “Lebanon has officially rejected the Zionist regime’s claim and some western media reports blaming the Hezbollah Resistance Movement for a deadly rocket attack on the Israeli-occupied Syrian Golan Heights earlier on Saturday.” The Shi’ite Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri rejected claims that Hezbollah was involved. Berri even claimed that Hezbollah adheres “to the laws of war and does not target civilians.” This is despite the fact that Hezbollah often targets Kiryat Shmona, a civilian city.
Hezbollah has sought to spread misinformation, claiming that “Saturday’s attack on a soccer field potentially caused by an Israeli anti-rocket interceptor.” Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister, Najib Mikati also condemned the missile incident in the Majdal Shams region. “In a statement, Mikati’s condemned violent actions against civilians and demanded immediate cessation of hostile actions on all fronts,” IRNA noted.
The aftermath of a Hezbollah attack in the druze village of Majdal Shams, northern Israel, July 28, 2024 (SETH J. FRANTZMAN)
Hezbollah’s media representative Mohammad Afif denied responsibility for the incident, Iranian media reported. The same media report claimed that the latest attacks by Hezbollah “hit three Israeli military bases, involving dozens of Katyusha rockets as well as Burkan missiles.” Israel has said the attack on Majdal Shams was called by a Falaq-1 missile with an Iranian-made 50kg warhead.
It seems that Lebanon is trotting out all the politicians from various sectors to try to whitewash Hezbollah’s attack. IRNA also reported that “former head of the Progressive Socialist Party of Lebanon, Walid Jumblatt has also warned against any plan of the Zionist regime to incite sedition and making the incident a pretext to launch an attack on his country.” Jumblatt is Druze and his words carry some weight in the community. “In the past, we exposed the plot hatched by the Zionist regime, but now it is trying to do the same again, but we, along with Hezbollah and other resistance groups, are waiting for the Zionist enemy’s ambush,” Jumblatt claimed.
The denials in Lebanon are designed to prevent a larger war. Other regional media are also focused on this issue. Al-Ain media in the UAE also had a long article looking at the evidence that the attack was carried out by Hezbollah using an Iranian missile. The article also repeated the Hezbollah claims asserting Israel was at fault for the incident.
Meanwhile, evidence is pouring in regarding Hezbollah’s responsibility. A US official told Al Arabiya that the missile fired at Majdal Shams was from Hezbollah. “It’s unclear if it was a mistake, but it’s been assessed to have been launched by the group,” the official said.
Hezbollah plays innocent
Hezbollah wants to make it appear that it does not target civilians. It has targeted Druze, Muslim and Christian Arab villages in the past in northern Israel. It struck a soccer field in Hurfeish on June 5. It also has targeted the beduin Arab town of Arab al-Aramshe numerous times on the border. It has also causes sirens in Jish and also in Fassuta, Christian towns in northern Israel. Hezbollah is trying to escape responsibility because it knows that murdering so many children is a bad look for the group. If it had killed one or two it might have had a different message about a “mistake.”
Hezbollah also knows this could enrage Druze in Lebanon and Syria. Druze in Suweida in southern Syria have been protesting the Syrian regime for a year now. They want more services and security. The regime is likely responsible for letting ISIS massacre Druze in Suweida in 2018. One commentator discussing the Majdal Shams attack said it could also be seen as a message against Druze in Syria. The Syrian regime backs Hezbollah and is backed by Iran. They may want the Druze in Syria to basically stop protesting.
Comments are closed.