Druze in Golan reject Israel’s retaliation threat

Druze residents of the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights yesterday distanced themselves from Israeli threats to retaliate against Lebanon's Hezbollah group for a deadly rocket strike on a Druze Arab town in the territory.

Most of Majdal Shams's around 11,000 residents still identify as Syrian more than half a century after Israel seized the Golan Heights from Syria and later annexed it in a move not recognised by the international community.

On a visit to the town on Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Israel would deliver a "severe response" to the strike, which killed 12 children aged between 10 and 16 as they played football on Saturday.

Yesterday, the Israeli army said it had struck around 10 Hezbollah targets overnight and killed one of the Iran-backed group's fighters.

Scores of Majdal Shams residents had come out to protest Netanyahu's visit, many donning traditional Druze caps.

The hawkish prime minister arrived hours after hundreds of mourners had joined the funeral procession for one of the children killed, Guevara Ibrahim, 11.

In a statement issued after his visit, Druze lay and religious leaders said the community rejects the "attempt to exploit the name of Majdal Shams as a political platform at the expense of the blood of our children".

Noting that the Druze faith "forbids killing and revenge in any form", the community leaders said "we reject the shedding of even a single drop of blood under the pretext of avenging our children".

The Israeli military has said that the rocket which hit Majdal Shams was fired by Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.