
Lebanese Druze leader Walid Joumblatt. (Credit: AFP)
In expressing their condolences for the victims of Saturday's attack on the Druze village of Majdal Shams in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, which killed 12 people and injured dozens of others, Lebanon's Druze community leaders criticized Israel for what they perceived as exploitation of the tragedy to further its own agenda.
The Israeli military reported that the area was hit by a rocket, made in Iran, carrying a 50-kilogram warhead. Israel accused Hezbollah of being behind the attack, which hit a football field in the Druze Arab town of Majdal Shams. Hezbollah, however, has denied responsibility for the incident. Local authorities noted that the victims ranged in age from 10 to 16 years old.
'Unacceptable' Joumblatt says
Walid Joumblatt, the former head of the Lebanese Progressive Socialist Party (PSP), and arguably Lebanon's most influential Druze leader, reacted early on Saturday to the "tragic incident in Majdal Shams" in a statement, in which he also strongly criticized Israel.
Joumblatt began by offering his "sincere condolences and sympathy to the families" of the victims and "to the entire population of the occupied Syrian Golan." He added that "targeting civilians is unacceptable and condemnable, whether in occupied Palestine, the occupied Golan or southern Lebanon."
"The history and the present of the Israeli enemy are full of the massacres it has committed and continues to commit against civilians," continued Joumblatt, calling for “any slippage” to be avoided. He also called for "the war to be prevented from spreading and for an immediate end to the aggression and attacks." Finally, he took note of Hezbollah's statement denying any involvement in the deadly incident in Majdal Shams, stressing that Israel has "long sought to spark conflict and fragment the region."
PSP member, MP Wael Abu Faour, condemned the incident on Sunday, accusing Israel of hypocrisy. "The Israeli occupation state weeps over the children martyrs from the occupied Syrian Golan Heights — this is the height of obscenity and hypocrisy," he stated. He criticized Israel for occupying the land for years, denying basic rights to its people, and using them as a pawn in its broader strategy. "Today, they cry over them to incite discord between them and their Arab and Islamic brethren, while war criminal Netanyahu wants to use the Golan tragedy to overturn any negotiations and continue his aggressive war on the Palestinian people after the shameful celebration in the Congress."
Abu Faour emphasized that the slain children were innocent Arab victims, similar to those killed in other areas like Khan Younis and Rafah in the Gaza Strip. He accused Israel of feigning humanitarian concern while being the perpetrator of deadly strikes in other locations. He expressed his sorrow for the victims and extended condolences to their families and the people of the occupied Golan Heights.
Abu Yusuf Amin al-Sayegh, the spiritual leader of the Druze community in Lebanon, also addressed the people of the Golan Heights, expressing deep sorrow for the tragedy. "Our martyrs are the proof that the Golan remains a stronghold of Arabism, dignity, and pride," he stated. He urged the Druze community to remain steadfast in their values and not to be swayed by attempts to exploit this tragic event.
Sayegh emphasized the unity of the Druze people and warned against efforts to create division. "The Druze community has always been a pillar of Arabism, at the forefront of defending Arab causes," he said. He called on the community to remain vigilant and resist any attempts to exploit the situation for divisive purposes.
Talal Arslan, leader of the Lebanese Democratic Party, the second most popular Druze party in Lebanon, also commented on the incident, denouncing it as a failed attempt to separate the Syrian Golan from its natural geographical and familial ties. "The Golan will not fall into the trap of Israel's project to pretend to protect minorities," he asserted, according to the Lebanese state-run National News Agency. He reiterated the community's rejection of Israel's actions and its commitment to resisting until the full liberation of occupied lands.
Arslan concluded by affirming the solidarity of all freedom-loving people in the world, especially the nationalistic Druze, with the people of the Golan. "The Golan is an integral part of our honorable resistance, and it will only return to its natural state through steadfastness and resistance," he declared.
Jaafarite mufti, Ahmad Qabalan, who is close to Hezbollah, on Sunday addressed a message to the Druze community, stating: "To the Druze brothers in Lebanon, Syria, and Palestine: our blood, spirit, and struggle are unified, and so is our enemy. The tragedy in Majdal Shams is unrelated to the resistance; this is clear. ... The Israeli narrative about the events in Majdal Shams is that of a killer wiping away his crime with tears. The butcher of Gaza and the enemy of humanity is not to be believed. The Zionist goal is to divide us and mask the massacre in Gaza and the suffering of its children and women with crocodile tears. No one has paid the price for liberating the Golan and Palestine as the resistance has."
He continued, addressing Tel Aviv: "War will be met with war, destruction with destruction, and escalation with escalation. The urge for historical battle is boundless, and the heavy rocket barrages that could flood Tel Aviv and Israeli cities with destruction and fire are ready. Any violation of the combat rules will be met with even harsher retaliation. We long for a war that avenges the killers of prophets, saints, and traitors of the land and humanity. Any foolish gamble will be met with a crushing response, reaching Israeli cities and infrastructure, easily closing off the Mediterranean and other vital arteries."
Meanwhile, caretaker Education Minister Abbas Halabi condemned the "massacre that affected the people of Majdal Shams in the occupied Golan Heights, in which 12 children lost their lives, their blood spilled on the altar of brutality and hatred." Halabi urged "wisdom, awareness, patience and steadfastness in faith until those responsible for this brutal crime are identified and those behind it are punished."
In 1981, Israel unilaterally annexed the Golan Heights. Despite international objections, particularly from Syria, and various United Nations resolutions condemning the annexation, Israel has asserted its control over the Golan Heights, citing security threats and the instability in the region as justifications for this decision.