QASSIM Hamadeh awoke to gunfire and explosions in his village of Beit Jin, southwestern Syria, last month, only to discover that two of his sons, a daughter-in-law, and his 4- and 10-year-old grandsons had been killed. The five were among 13 villagers who perished in an Israeli raid that authorities said targeted members of a militant group allegedly planning attacks on Israel.
AP reported on Monday that Israeli troops claimed militants had fired upon soldiers, wounding six, prompting troops to return fire and call in air support.
Residents of Beit Jin, however, dismissed the claims, asserting that armed villagers confronted Israeli forces they saw as invaders, only to be met with tank and artillery fire followed by a drone strike. The Syrian government in Damascus labelled the attack a “massacre.”
The raid has heightened tensions and frustrated locals, undermining U.S.-backed attempts at a thaw in relations between Israel and Syria.
An Israeli-Syrian rapprochement appeared possible last December after Sunni Islamist-led rebels overthrew the autocratic President Bashar al-Assad, a close ally of Iran, Israel’s regional adversary.
Syria’s interim president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, who led the rebel movement, expressed no desire for conflict with Israel. Yet Israel remained wary, citing his militant background and prior affiliations with al-Qaida-aligned groups.
Israeli forces swiftly established a presence in the UN-mandated buffer zone along the Golan Heights, which Israel captured in 1967 and later annexed, a move not recognised by most of the international community.
Checkpoints, military installations, and landing pads have been set up on strategic high ground, with reconnaissance drones regularly overflying nearby towns and Israeli tanks and Humvees patrolling the area.
“Israelis here are pursuing a very dangerous strategy,” said Michael Young, Senior Editor at the Beirut-based Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center.
“It contradicts the positions of Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt — and even the United States — which are all in agreement that what has to come out of this today is a Syrian state that is unified and fairly strong.”
Israel maintains that its operations aim to eliminate pro-Assad forces and militants to protect its borders, though there is no indication of withdrawal. Attempts to reach a security agreement with Syria have so far stalled.
The shadow of conflicts in Lebanon and Gaza adds to local anxieties. Israeli troops remain active in southern Lebanon more than a year after a U.S.-brokered ceasefire ended the latest Israel-Hezbollah war. In Gaza, buffer zones under Israeli control are planned even after eventual partial withdrawal.
Al-Sharaa has accused Israel of using fabricated threats to justify aggressive incursions. “All countries support an Israeli withdrawal from Syria to the lines prior to Assad’s ouster,” he said, insisting this is the only way for both nations to “emerge in a state of safety.”
Syria’s new leadership faces multiple internal challenges, including disputes with Kurdish-led authorities in the northeast and unrest in the southern Sweida province, where Druze and Bedouin clashes led to hundreds of civilian deaths.
Israel has courted the Druze and Kurds, though many local communities remain sceptical of its intentions.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited troops near Beit Jin and defended his government’s actions, stating Israel seeks “a demilitarised buffer zone from Damascus to the UN buffer zone,” including Mt. Hermon.
“It is also possible to reach an agreement with the Syrians, but we will stand by our principles in any case,” he said.
The international response has been critical. Former U.S. President Donald Trump called for Israel to maintain dialogue with Syria and avoid actions that could hinder Damascus’ development. Analysts doubt Israel will withdraw soon, noting that landing pads and installations suggest a long-term presence.
Hamadeh, the labourer who lost five family members, expressed profound despair. “I can no longer bear the situation,” he said. “Israel strikes wherever it wants, it destroys whatever it wants, and kills whoever it wants, and no one holds it accountable.” - December 15, 2025
