Image Credits - The New Arab
Lebanon’s Foreign Minister, Abdallah Bou Habib, has called for an urgent investigation into the deadly rocket attack in Majdal Shams, a town in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, which claimed the lives of at least 12 people in July. Bou Habib requested a meeting today with Major General Patrick Gauchat, the chief of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO).
The Majdal Shams attack, which targeted a football pitch and left 30 others injured, has sparked fresh tensions between Hezbollah and Israel. Israel immediately blamed the Lebanon-based Hezbollah group for the assault, using it as grounds for a retaliatory strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs, killing a senior Hezbollah commander.
Hezbollah, however, has denied any involvement in the Majdal Shams incident. The group has been engaging in daily attacks on Israeli territory in solidarity with Palestinians since October 2023 but insists it was not responsible for the rocket attack in Golan Heights that provoked Israel’s retaliation.
During today’s meeting, Bou Habib pressed for the United Nations to release a report on the Majdal Shams attack, stressing that such a document would clarify the facts and discredit Israel’s justification of ‘self-defence’ for its assault on Beirut’s southern suburbs on July 30, 2024. The Lebanese foreign minister urged the UN to clarify this issue to avoid further escalation of violence in the region.
The country’s National News Agency (NNA) reported that Major General Gauchat shared concerns about the rising tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border, warning that the situation is becoming increasingly volatile. Gauchat reaffirmed UNTSO’s commitment to monitoring the situation on both sides and emphasized the need for de-escalation.
The Majdal Sham attack and subsequent attacks have worsened the security situation in the region. Lebanon and Israel are on alert, and regional tensions threaten major conflicts. The call for a UN investigation comes amid growing concern over the violence, with international observers closely watching the response of the UN and other diplomatic bodies to the latest escalation.