The Syrian Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the Israeli occupation forces’ incursion and their opening fire today, Monday, on civilians in the Beit Jinn area of the Damascus countryside, describing the incident as a serious escalation. The ministry stated in a statement that the Israeli military incursion into Beit Jinn constitutes a blatant violation of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. It added that this dangerous Israeli escalation is a direct threat to regional peace and security and embodies an aggressive approach. The Syrian Foreign Ministry also said that the continued Israeli violations undermine stability efforts and exacerbate tensions in the region. The statement called on the United Nations to assume its responsibilities and take effective measures to deter the Israeli occupation authorities. Photos circulated on social media showed Israeli soldiers ascending a hill overlooking Beit Jinn town and firing at Syrian civilians who were peacefully protesting the incursion.

Prior to the Syrian Foreign Ministry’s statement, the Government Communication Office in Damascus Governorate reported that Israeli occupation forces had penetrated the Jabal al-Sheikh area in the Quneitra countryside. The office added that an Israeli force of about 100 personnel entered the ‘Bat al-Warda’ area on the outskirts of Beit Jinn. It continued that local residents peacefully demanded the withdrawing of the incursion force, but the soldiers fired directly at them. The Government Communication Office described the Israeli army’s incursion as a blatant assault amounting to a crime against peaceful residents. It also confirmed that the incursion was a direct targeting of civilian security, not a search for what the Israeli army described as ‘terrorists.’ Meanwhile, Syrian news reported a state of tension prevailing in the area after the incursion and the firing on residents without any human injuries recorded.

After the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December last year, Israel canceled the disengagement agreement and occupied the buffer zone, with its forces frequently penetrating the Quneitra countryside in the liberated part of the Syrian Golan and the nearby Daraa countryside reaching the outskirts of the Damascus countryside governorate.