Netanyahu vows retaliation against Hezbollah after weekend strike as US warns against escalation

Associated Press

MAJDAL SHAMS, Golan Heights (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that Israel’s response would be “severe” as he blamed Hezbollah for a weekend rocket strike from Lebanon that killed 12 children. Furious diplomatic efforts to prevent a slide into a regional war have been taking place. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Israel’s president, emphasizing the “importance of preventing escalation.” Hezbollah has denied a role in the strike. Netanyahu visited the soccer field where the rocket struck Saturday evening in the mainly Druze town of Majdal Shams. But he was met by protests from residents accusing him of using the bloodshed for political purposes and calling for an end to violence.