IDF Chief of Staff Rushes to Druze Arab Community to Show Support

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi rushed to the scene of Saturday evening’s Hezbollah attack on the Druze Arab town of Majdal Shams to comfort the community and assure them that Israel would respond powerfully.

The IDF issued a statement:

The Chief of the General Staff, LTG Herzi Halevi, arrived last night (Saturday) at the soccer field in Majdal Shams and met with the Head of the Druze community, Shaykh Mowafaq Tarif and representatives of the local authority, the Commanding Officer of the Northern Command, MG Ori Gordin and the the Commanding Officer of the 210th Division, BG Yair Peli.

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Attached are the full remarks of the Chief of the General Staff:  

We know exactly where the rocket was launched from today. We examined the remains of the rocket here on the wall of the soccer field. We know to say that it is a Falaq rocket with a 53kg warhead. This is a Hezbollah rocket. And whoever launches such a rocket into a built-up area wants to kill civilians, wants to kill children. We give strength to the Druze community, our brave, full partner, with the rest of the citizens of Israel, in the war for our home, our collective home. We strongly support the residents of Majdal Shams, and we embrace the bereaved families and wish all the injured a speedy and full recovery. It is important for me to say to you, the residents of the north, that it has been a long time that you have been away from home. We see the struggle, and we will use all means to return you home safely. We are greatly increasing our readiness for the next stage of fighting in the north. We are simultaneously operating in the Gaza Strip. We know how to strike even very far from the State of Israel. There will be more challenges, and we will raise our readiness. When required, we will act strongly. Our duty is to return the residents of the north safely to their homes, in the entire north, the Galilee and the Golan Heights, a full commitment. It is a difficult day, we will work for better days.

Hezbollah, unusually, has tried to deny responsibility for the attack, which killed 12 Druze Arab children. There is also a Druze community in southern Lebanon which is furious about the attack.

The IDF confirmed that the rocket that his Madjal Shams was fired from an area north of the Lebanese town of Chebaa in Hezbollah-occupied southern Lebanon, part of a large barrage targeting northern Israel on Saturday evening.

IDF Spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said Saturday night (translated via IDF): “In the past hour, Hezbollah has been lying and denying its responsibility for the incident. Our intelligence is clear – Hezbollah is responsible for killing innocent children. Ten-year-old children. And once again, the brutality of Hezbollah as a terrorist organization was exposed.

“This is a very serious incident and we will act accordingly. The IDF will do everything to protect the citizens of the State of Israel.”

Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of “”The Agenda: What Trump Should Do in His First 100 Days,” available for pre-order on Amazon. He is also the author of “The Trumpian Virtues: The Lessons and Legacy of Donald Trump’s Presidency,” now available on Audible. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.