A pre-dawn Israeli military incursion into the Syrian town of Beit Jinn Thursday, June 12, left one civilian dead and seven others detained, according to Syria’s Interior and Foreign Ministries. The operation, carried out by Israeli forces backed by tanks, armored vehicles and reconnaissance drones, marked one of the deepest penetrations into the Damascus countryside in recent years.
The Syrian Interior Ministry identified the deceased as Muhammad Ahmad Hamada, who was shot during the raid. His uncle, Ali Qassem Hamada, was among the seven abducted. The ministry reported that the men were transported into Israeli-occupied territory, with no information yet on their whereabouts or condition.
“In light of the continued repeated violations committed by the Israeli occupation forces… this escalation threatens regional security and stability,” the Interior Ministry said in a statement published by the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).
According to local sources, the Israeli force—estimated at around 100 soldiers and 10 armored vehicles—approached from positions in northern Quneitra and the Tulul al-Hamr area, surrounding the village of Beit Jinn, which lies about 50 kilometers southwest of Damascus. The sounds of military vehicles and drones reportedly echoed through the area as loudspeakers called out the names of those who were abducted.
The Israeli military claimed responsibility for the operation. Army Radio and spokesman Avichay Adraee claimed that the raid targeted alleged Hamas operatives alleged to be planning attacks on Israeli citizens and soldiers. Adraee said on X, formerly Twitter, that the arrests followed “weeks of intelligence gathering” and that the detainees were being interrogated by Israel’s Unit 504. He added that combat equipment, including firearms and ammunition, was seized.
The Syrian Foreign Ministry denounced the incursion as a “flagrant violation” of Syrian sovereignty and a breach of international law, including the 1974 Disengagement Agreement. The ministry called on the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) to fulfill its mandate and urged the UN Security Council to take immediate action to halt Israel’s repeated military operations in Syrian territory.
“These provocative actions hinder any effort toward regional stability,” the Foreign Ministry said in its statement.
The Beit Jinn operation follows a string of Israeli actions in southern Syria in recent weeks. On June 8, the Israeli air force targeted a farm in the same area, reportedly wounding two people. On June 3, artillery exchanges followed rocket fire from the Syrian side into the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, which prompted Israeli attacks of multiple sites in Daraa province.
Israeli forces have also carried out incursions into nearby Quneitra villages, including Qahtaniyah, where soldiers recently deployed throughout residential streets and terrorized the people. Local residents reported ongoing restrictions, land seizures and arrests near the border strip.
International organizations have previously condemned Israel’s operations in Syria, citing their toll on civilian life and the risk of escalating regional conflict. Thursday’s incident adds to a growing list of confrontations along the Syrian-Israeli frontier, raising concerns about a broader destabilization in the region.
