Israeli military operation in Syria: renewed advances by the Israeli army in southwest Syria

At least three military operations in 24 hours are said to have shaken the region between Quneitra and Dara'a in southwestern Syria. According to residents and local media, Israeli forces carried out raids and fired shots in several locations. A man with mental impairment was apparently fatally hit by a bullet.

Israeli troops positioned snipers on the roofs of residential buildings during a raid in the village of Jamla, 33 kilometers south of Quneitra and 30 west of Dara'a, several Arab media outlets reported. The state news agency Sana quoted the Syrian Foreign Ministry on the man's death: According to this, the "Israeli occupation authorities are fully responsible for this crime." Furthermore, ongoing Israeli advances violated the country's sovereignty and threatened the stability of the region.

The Assad family's 50-year rule has been history since 2024. Bashar al-Assad fled to Russia after rebels overthrew the regime. The interim government of HTS leader al-Sharaa is currently in office.

When asked, the Israeli military wrote that soldiers carried out operations in southern Syria on the night of Wednesday to Thursday. They saw someone walking towards them and initiated “procedures to arrest the suspect”. When the man approached them, they opened fire. The incident is currently being investigated. The army left the question of the reason for the raid unanswered.

On the same day, regional media reported two further incidents. The Israeli army blew up an abandoned house in Quneitra province and fired machine guns at cultivated land near the village of Hamidiyah, according to Turkey's Anadolu news agency. Israeli soldiers are said to have done something similar in the village of Kudna. Why is unclear. The Israeli military also left a corresponding request unanswered.

During a raid in the village of Turnejeh, Israeli soldiers also searched houses and arrested a man.

Israeli attacks in southern Syria are increasing, media and the state news agency Sana report. There have been several raids and arrests in the past week. A resident of Quneitra, who wishes to remain anonymous, says: "The current situation is tense and people are living in a state of insecurity. Nobody is defending or protecting us." The population is being terrorized, olive trees are being destroyed and houses are being set on fire. He doesn't know why.

Mohammad al-Fayyad, a Syrian activist from the region, believes the Israeli military is escalating the situation with its operations. “Fighter jets are constantly present in Syrian airspace.” For him, this has to do with the upcoming elections in Israel. The country will elect a new parliament on October 27th. “[Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu is trying to win the elections and is using the Druze community in southern Syria as an excuse to intervene here in the middle of the election campaign.”

After the fall of the Assad regime in Syria almost two years ago, Israel carried out more than 1,000 air strikes on the neighboring country, according to NGOs. Bombs even fell on targets in the Syrian capital Damascus. In addition, the Israeli army invaded areas beyond the occupied Golan Heights and de facto occupied them. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has since documented more than 1,000 advances and raids in the region. Hundreds of Syrians were arrested and taken to Israeli prisons, residents were expelled from their homes - which NGOs denounce as violations of international law.

The Israeli government justifies the action with the desire to “demilitarize” southern Syria, protect the Druze and prevent terrorist attacks on Israel. Those arrested are usually suspected of being militants or planning terrorist attacks on Israelis. Defense Minister Israel Katz has announced that he will remain in Syria “indefinitely.”

The Syrian government has repeatedly said the occupation violates the country's sovereignty and called on the international community to pressure Israel to withdraw. At the same time, President Ahmed al-Sharaa emphasized that he does not want to attack Israel and is striving for a security agreement with the neighboring country.

Meanwhile, protests have broken out across the country against the Israeli advances and the killing of the man in Jamla. People took to the streets in Idlib, Homs, Damascus and Dara'a. As media reports, the demonstrators called for more security and an end to Israeli attacks.