Israeli forces conducted a raid in a southern Syrian village, resulting in a confrontation with residents and the death of at least 13 individuals, according to Syrian officials. The incident occurred amidst Israel’s engagement in various conflicts and amidst progress in the fragile ceasefire in Gaza.
Syria’s Foreign Ministry labeled the attack as a “horrific massacre,” highlighting that women and children were among the casualties. Reports from the Syrian state news agency, SANA, indicated that Israeli forces entered the village of Beit Jin with the intention to apprehend local men, leading to heavy gunfire upon facing resistance from residents, causing numerous families to flee.
Israel explained that the operation aimed to capture suspects linked to the Jamaa Islamiya militant group in Beit Jin, who allegedly planned attacks using improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and rockets against Israel. Israeli forces encountered armed militants and responded with force, including air support. While Israel reported the successful conclusion of the operation with suspects in custody and militants neutralized, no evidence was provided to support these claims.
A local official, Walid Okasha, asserted that the casualties were civilians, including a family comprising a man, his wife, children, and his brother, along with another man who had recently married. Describing the situation as dire, Okasha emphasized the civilian impact of the incident.
Resident Firas Daher recounted that Israeli troops engaged the village around 3 a.m., encountering mild resistance with light arms from residents. Israeli forces retaliated using drones, helicopters, and heavy machine gun fire, targeting any movement within the village, including vehicles transporting injured individuals to hospitals.
Israeli forces have been active in southern Syria since the removal of former Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, holding an area previously monitored by the UN as a buffer zone. Operations within and outside this zone have been routine, involving raids to apprehend suspected militants. Israel has also launched multiple airstrikes on Syrian military facilities and advocated for a demilitarized zone south of Damascus.
Syrian officials have decried Israeli incursions as breaches of Syrian sovereignty, urging urgent international intervention to halt such actions. Concerns persist that ongoing conflicts in the region could jeopardize the fragile Gaza ceasefire.
The recent fatalities in Syria occurred following Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon, aimed at preventing Hezbollah from rebuilding after a prior conflict. The United Nations reported civilian casualties in Lebanon attributed to Israeli strikes, including a high-ranking Hezbollah figure killed in Beirut. The UN and Syrian authorities condemned Israel’s actions as violations of Syrian sovereignty, exacerbating an already unstable situation.
Efforts to negotiate a security agreement between Syrian and Israeli officials for border stability have stalled since September, despite several U.S.-brokered meetings. Israel’s control over the Golan Heights, seized during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and annexed thereafter, remains a point of contention in the region.