Hezbollah sued by Druze families for deadly Majdal Shams soccer field strike
The attack, one of the deadliest against civilians, involved a Hezbollah-fired rocket striking a soccer field in the northern Israeli town of Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights
Eight families whose children were killed in a July 2024 rocket attack on Majdal Shams have filed a landmark lawsuit against the Hezbollah terrorist organization, seeking NIS 80 million (approximately $23 million) in compensation.
The case was submitted Sunday to the Jerusalem District Court under Israel’s law for compensating victims of terrorism, passed by the Knesset during the conflict.
The attack, one of the deadliest against civilians during the War of Iron Swords after the October 7 massacre, involved a Hezbollah-fired rocket striking a soccer field in the northern Israeli town of Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights.
Twelve children were killed and dozens more were injured. The rocket, of Iranian manufacture, carried a 53-kilogram warhead and was fired deliberately from the Lebanese town of Shebaa.
An additional lawsuit is expected in the coming days, representing more than 30 people injured in the attack, seeking NIS 165 million (around $48 million) in damages.
Parents of the victims described the profound impact of the attack on their lives. Laith Abu Saleh, father of 16-year-old Fajer, one of the children killed, said, “Our lives were destroyed irreparably. This lawsuit will not bring back our children, but it seeks to establish accountability for the deliberate targeting of innocent civilians.”
Abu Saleh emphasized that the legal action also sends a broader message: “No act of firing rockets at civilians should go unpunished. While our private pain is immense, it reflects the wider suffering of Israeli society. Alongside the efforts of our security forces, we are pursuing justice through the courts to deter future attacks and hold those responsible accountable.”
Attorney Nitzana Darshan-Leitner, representing the families, highlighted the timing of the lawsuit. “Justice must be pursued now, while Hezbollah is weakened and internationally exposed,” she said. “In an act of unparalleled malice, they took the lives of 12 innocent teenagers with Iranian backing. This case will continue in the courts until justice is achieved for the victims of terrorism.”
The lawsuits represent both a pursuit of legal accountability and a symbolic stand against attacks targeting civilians, reinforcing the message that deliberate violence against innocents will face consequences on multiple fronts.