DAMASCUS – In a tense incident on Friday, Israeli forces entered a village in southern Syria, resulting in a deadly confrontation with local residents. According to Syrian media and officials, at least 10 individuals were killed as the raid unfolded, amidst ongoing conflicts and a fragile ceasefire in Gaza.
The Syrian state news outlet, SANA, reported that Israeli troops targeted the village of Beit Jin, aiming to detain certain individuals. The situation escalated when the forces encountered resistance from the villagers, leading to heavy gunfire and causing numerous families to flee the area.
Israel justified the operation by stating it was based on intelligence regarding suspects associated with Jamaa Islamiya, or the Islamic Group, in Beit Jin. These individuals were allegedly plotting attacks on Israeli civilians. During the raid, Israeli forces were met with gunfire from militants, resulting in injuries to several soldiers. The injured were promptly evacuated to a hospital for treatment, according to military sources.
The military confirmed that Israeli forces responded to the militant attack with both ground and aerial support. The operation concluded with the capture of all targeted suspects and the neutralization of several militants.
Since the dramatic fall of former Syrian President Bashar Assad in December 2024, Israel has maintained a cautious stance towards Syria’s new authorities. Israeli forces have taken control of a previously U.N.-monitored buffer zone in southern Syria, established under a 1974 disengagement agreement. This has included numerous airstrikes on Syrian military positions and a push for a demilitarized zone near Damascus.
Despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties, Israel and Syria are reportedly in discussions aimed at securing a potential security agreement to ease tensions between the two nations.
Syrian officials have condemned the Israeli incursions as a violation of Syria’s sovereignty but did not immediately comment on Friday’s raid.
A local official in the village, Walid Okasha, told The Associated Press that those killed were civilians, and one of them had celebrated his wedding the day before.
“The situation is miserable,” he said.
In a previous raid on Beit Jin in June, Israeli forces captured several people who they said were Hamas members — a characterization disputed by residents — and killed a man whose family said he had a history of schizophrenia.
Ongoing conflicts in the region have fueled concerns that unrest could spill over and undermine the fragile truce in Gaza.
The deaths in Syria followed a series of strikes by Israel’s air force in parts of southern Lebanon on Thursday. Israel says its ongoing strikes are aimed at preventing Hezbollah from rebuilding after a devastating war last year ended with a ceasefire.
The United Nations on Tuesday said Israel had killed at least 127 civilians, including children, in its strikes on Lebanon since the ceasefire a year ago. Things escalated earlier this week with a rare strike in Lebanon’s capital of Beirut, killing a senior Hezbollah official who Israel described as the group’s chief of staff.
___
Find more of AP’s Israel-Hamas coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
