Some shouted at Mr Smotrich, an advocate for war with Lebanon, “leave here”, while also hurling profanities at him.
Before the football pitch was hit on Saturday evening, Hezbollah had announced it had fired rockets at Israeli military sites, but swiftly denied involvement in the attack, saying it had “absolutely nothing to do with the incident, and categorically denies all false allegations in this regard”.
Eleven of the 12 children killed were named by Arabic and Hebrew media on Sunday morning.
The victims were: Alma Ayman Fakher Eldin, 11; Milad Muadad Alsha’ar, 10; Vinees Adham Alsafadi, 11; Iseel Nasha’at Ayoub, 12; Yazan Nayeif Abu Saleh, 12; Johnny Wadeea Ibrahim, 13; Ameer Rabeea Abu Saleh, 16; Naji Taher Alhalabi, 11; Fajer Laith Abu Saleh, 16; Hazem Akram Abu Saleh, 15; and Nathem Fakher Saeb, 16.
The 12th victim was later named as 11-year-old Jifara Ibrahim.
He was initially recorded as missing, after his body was not immediately recovered after the blast. His family’s worst fears were confirmed on Sunday evening following testing of body parts found at the football field.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has said that the rocket which killed the 12 children was an Iranian-made Falaq-1 with a warhead of over 110 pounds of explosives.
Residents and first responders said the warning siren had sounded too late for the victims to flee.
One witness, who was not identified by name, spoke of gruesome scenes as they started scooping up body parts in the aftermath.
“The children were playing, they came to have fun and enjoy themselves,” the witness told Haaretz.
“I started picking up scattered body parts. Children whose bodies were flung (into the air). The explosion shredded them to pieces.”