Israel’s deadly strike on Beit Jinn has left severe destruction in the town [Getty]
Israeli media reported that the Israeli army is considering a broader operation against the Syrian authorities following an illegal raid in the town of Beit Jinn, where 13 Syrians were killed in an airstrike late Friday.
According to Israel’s Channel 13, military officials are assessing the option “if it is found that one of [the Syrian government’s] personnel took part in the clashes” that erupted at dawn in southern Syria.
Channel 13 said the confrontation may prompt the army to change its usual operational approach, which relies on near-daily incursions, home raids and arrests.
The outlet claimed the military may reduce ground arrest missions and rely instead on aerial assassinations “to preserve the safety of its soldiers”, drawing a comparison with its operations in Lebanon.
The channel quoted Israeli officers as saying initial investigations suggested the incident was not a pre-planned ambush but a reaction by local residents. They said the army called in the air force after a military Hummer vehicle was disabled during the exchange.
Channel 13 relayed the Israeli account that forces from Reserve Brigade 55 had been conducting arrest operations targeting dozens of Syrians, and that Battalion 6623 raided Beit Jinn to arrest two brothers accused of belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated Islamic Group and carrying out attacks.
Israeli forces “successfully” detained the two brothers, according to the report, before coming under fire from around 200 metres away. The gunfire halted the vehicle, prompting the military to deploy helicopters, attack aircraft, drones and artillery to evacuate wounded soldiers and “eliminate the attackers”.
The Israeli army said in a statement that forces from Reserve Brigade 55 carried out the arrest operation “based on intelligence collected in recent weeks”, alleging that the suspects “pushed terrorist plans against the citizens of the State of Israel”.
It said that during the operation, “gunmen opened fire on the Israeli forces, which responded with fire”, and that “two officers and a reserve soldier were seriously wounded”, alongside additional moderate and light injuries. It said all suspects were arrested and “a number of gunmen” killed.
The Hebrew-language outlet Ynet reported that Israel had sent “harsh messages” to Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa after the incident and was preparing “a basket of potential responses”. Israeli security sources told the site they currently see no evidence of Syrian government involvement.
The Islamic Group denied the Israeli accusations, saying it was “surprised” by reports linking it to the clash and insisting it has “no activity outside Lebanon”. It condemned “the Israeli attack on the town and its peaceful residents” and said it adheres to Lebanon’s ceasefire commitments.
Across several Syrian provinces on Friday, protests were held against the Israeli attack. Demonstrators in Damascus burned Israeli flags, while rallies in Beit Jinn, western Hama countryside and Homs included chants of “O Zionist, listen, listen – the Syrian people will never kneel”.
Syrian Information Minister Hamza al-Mustafa told state TV that Israel “is trying to destabilise the state through military attacks”, describing it as “a challenge to Syria” similar to “ISIS, the Syrian Democratic Forces, the remnants of the Assad regime, Hezbollah and Iran.”
