Israel considers response against Hezbollah after fatal Golan rocket strike

Israeli police officers and firefighters at the site of a rocket attack in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights Picture: Gil Eliyahu/AP

The Middle East is braced for a potential flare-up in violence after Israeli authorities said a rocket from Lebanon struck a football field in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights, killing 12 children and teenagers in what the military called the deadliest attack on civilians since October 7.

It raised fears of a broader regional war between Israel and Hezbollah, which in a rare move denied it was responsible for the attack.