US State Dept warns against travel Lebanon after Hezbollah rocket kills 12 children in Israel

Canada, Germany, Holland, Australia, Sweden, Switzerland, Ireland, Kuwait, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, France, and Belgium issued similar advisories to their citizens. International flights have reportedly been diverted over Lebanese airspace and the Beirut airport canceled flights on Monday.

On Sunday, Israeli ministers authorized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his defense chief to decide on the “manner and timing” of a response to a Hezbollah rocket strike in the Northern Israel town of Majdal Shams on Saturday that killed 12 children and teens from the Druze community who were playing soccer.

Approximately 40,000 members of the Druze faith live in the Golan Heights in Northern Israel. On Sunday, members of the Druze community held funerals Sunday for 11 of the 12 victims of the attack in the town of Majdal Shams with thousands in attendance. Cities in Israel flew Druze flags and lit buildings in solidarity with the community.

Israel has vowed retaliation against the Iranian-backed terrorist group based in Lebanon, which has launched thousands of rockets at the Jewish state since October 8, 2023. 80,000 Israelis have been forced to evacuate their homes and have been living in hotels and elsewhere for months.

In response to the most recent attack, Israeli jets hit targets in southern Lebanon on Sunday and shelled sites there just after midnight Monday.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the Biden administration did not want further escalation of the conflict. The White House released a statement about the rocket attack that read, "We have been in continuous discussions with Israeli and Lebanese counterparts since the horrific attack yesterday in northern Israel that killed a number of children playing soccer. This attack was conducted by Lebanese Hezbollah. It was their rocket, and launched from an area they control. It should be universally condemned. Hezbollah started firing on Israel on October 8, claiming solidarity with Hamas, another Iranian-backed terrorist group. Our support for Israel’s security is ironclad and unwavering against all Iran-backed threats, including Hezbollah. The United States is also working on a diplomatic solution along the Blue Line that will end all attacks once and for all, and allow citizens on both sides of the border to safely return to their homes."

Vice President Kamala Harris, the presumptive nominee for president for the Democrat party has not yet commented on the attack.