By Zein Khalil
JERUSALEM (AA) – Mourners protested the participation of Israeli ministers in the funeral of 12 people killed in a rocket attack in Israel-occupied Golan Heights on Saturday.
Israel has linked the attack on a football field in the Druze town of Majdal Shams to Lebanon's Hezbollah group, which denied any responsibility.
Footage aired by Israeli media showed mourners protesting the presence of Israeli ministers, including far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, at the funeral.
"Get out of here, you criminal. We don't want you in the Golan," one protester shouted at Smotrich.
Environment Protection Minister Idit Silman, Economy Minister Nir Barkat and Energy Minister Eli Cohen faced similar protests.
According to the Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth, the Druze Authorities Forum sent a letter to Israeli government ministers requesting them not to attend the funeral.
"Do not come. Given the sensitivity of the situation, we ask not to turn this massacre into a political event. We demand a quiet religious funeral according to Druze customs,” read the letter.
Fears have grown about a full-blown war between Israel and Hezbollah amid an exchange of cross-border attacks between the two sides. The escalation comes against the backdrop of a deadly Israeli onslaught on Gaza, which has killed more than 39,300 victims since October, following an attack by the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas.
*Writing by Ikram Kouachi