A man works next to a house destroyed after a rocket attack in Katzrin, Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, August 21, 2024. | Photo credit: AP
The Lebanese Hezbollah More than 50 rockets have been fired targeting several private homes in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
The attack on Wednesday (August 21, 2024) came a day after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with fellow mediators Egypt and Qatar, as they pressed ahead with the latest diplomatic mission to secure a ceasefire. War in GazaHowever, Hamas and Israel have indicated that challenges still remain.
Hamas said in a new statement that the latest proposal presented to it was a “reversal” of what it had previously agreed to and accused the US of accepting Israel’s “new conditions”. There was no immediate US comment.
First responders in the Golan Heights said they treated a 30-year-old man who was lightly injured by shrapnel in the Wednesday (August 21, 2024) attack. A house was engulfed in flames, and firefighters said they prevented a major tragedy by stopping a gas leak.
Hezbollah said the attack was in response to an Israeli attack in Lebanon on Tuesday night (August 20, 2024) that killed one person and injured 19. On Tuesday (August 20, 2024), Hezbollah launched more than 200 projectiles towards Israel after Israel targeted Hezbollah’s weapons depot about 80 km from the border, marking a significant escalation of daily clashes.
Opinion: West Asia crisis presents tough choices for China and Russia
Israel and Hezbollah have carried out almost daily attacks for more than 10 months against the backdrop of Israel’s war against Hezbollah’s ally Hamas in Gaza. The attacks have killed more than 500 people in Lebanon – mostly militants but also about 100 civilians and non-combatants – and 23 soldiers and 26 civilians in Israel.
Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Mideast war and later annexed it, saying it needed the strategic plateau for its security. The United States is the only country that recognizes Israel’s occupation, while the rest of the international community considers the Golan to be Syrian territory.