Hundreds of Syrians gathered across multiple cities on Friday to protest recent Israeli military actions in the country’s south, including an incursion earlier this week that resulted in the death of a man with a disability. The demonstrations, reported by journalists and Syrian state media, took place in locations such as Daraa, Damascus, and Homs, highlighting widespread condemnation of Israeli activity near the Quneitra and Daraa provinces.
Since Islamist authorities assumed power after the toppling of longtime President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, Israel has carried out numerous strikes and frequent incursions into Syrian territory. These operations have included the deployment of troops into a United Nations-patrolled buffer zone that has separated Israeli and Syrian forces on the Golan Heights since 1974. Syrian authorities characterize these actions as violations of the 1974 disengagement agreement.
In Daraa city, an AFP correspondent observed hundreds of demonstrators waving Syrian flags and holding posters bearing slogans such as “We are all Moaz,” in reference to the man with special needs killed during the recent Israeli incursion. Protester Taysir al-Hariri told reporters that the gatherings aimed to send a message to the international community that Syria remains united against Israeli incursions and any threats to its national security.
State television broadcast images of rallies across the country, including one in Damascus outside a United Nations facility, where the family of a Syrian man reportedly seized by Israeli forces demanded his release. Children at that demonstration carried posters reading “I want my dad,” underscoring humanitarian concerns amid ongoing hostilities.
Syrian state media further reported that Israeli forces advanced in parts of Quneitra province, blocking several roads as part of their military operations. Damascus has accused Israel of conducting home raids, detaining dozens of residents, and engaging in shelling alongside ground incursions.
Israeli officials have not publicly commented on the specific incidents cited by Syrian sources in recent days, while international monitors continue to observe the volatile situation near the ceasefire lines on the Golan Heights. The ongoing tensions reflect the broader conflict dynamics in the region following the political changes in Syria late last year.
