Israeli military forces launched a devastating pre-dawn raid on the Syrian village of Beit Jin on Friday, resulting in intense clashes that left at least 13 people dead, according to Syrian officials. This marks the deadliest Israeli operation in Syria since Israeli troops captured large sections of southern Syria following the fall of President Bashar al-Assad's government last year.
Chaos and Carnage in Beit Jin
The violent confrontation began around 3 AM local time when Israeli soldiers entered the village to apprehend several men, triggering heavy exchanges of fire with local residents. Syrian authorities have condemned the assault as a "horrific massacre" and confirmed that women and children were among those killed in the operation.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of panic and chaos as the raid unfolded. Iyad Taher, a resident wounded by shrapnel during the attack, recounted: "We were asleep when we were woken up at three in the morning by gunfire. We went outside to see what was happening and saw the Israeli army in the village, soldiers and tanks."
Another resident, Firas Daher, told Associated Press that Israeli forces employed multiple military assets including drones, helicopters, and heavy machine guns. "Whenever anyone would move inside the village or any car would move, it would get hit," he stated, painting a picture of the intense firepower deployed during the operation.
Civilian Casualties and Military Justification
Local officials provided harrowing details about the victims. According to Walid Okasha, a village official quoted by AP, those killed included civilians such as a man, his wife, their two children, and a relative. Tragically, another victim had gotten married just the day before the raid.
The Israeli military defended its actions, stating they were targeting fighters from Jamaa Islamiya, an Islamist group allied with Hamas and based in Lebanon. Israeli authorities alleged that militants in Beit Jin were planning attacks on Israeli civilians. The operation came at a cost to Israeli forces as well, with six Israeli soldiers wounded, three of them seriously.
Abdul Rahman al-Hamrawi, a local official, reported that Israeli forces shelled the area with "artillery and drones," causing widespread destruction and forcing dozens of families to flee the village as gunfire and shelling intensified.
Regional Fallout and International Condemnation
The deadly raid has sparked outrage across Syria and drawn international criticism. Protests erupted in Damascus and other cities, with demonstrators carrying banners reading "Beit Jin makes us proud" and "stop Israeli attacks." The protests coincided with the one-year anniversary of Assad's fall from power.
Syria's foreign ministry accused Israel of seeking to "ignite the region" through its aggressive actions. The United Nations also weighed in, with UN Deputy Special Envoy Najat Rochdi condemning Israel's actions as "a grave and unacceptable violation of Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity."
Rami Abdul Rahman of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed that this represents "the deadliest incursion since Israel began conducting operations outside the buffer zone in southern Syria."
The incident occurs amid escalating regional tensions, including recent deadly Israeli strikes in Lebanon that killed a senior Hezbollah figure. According to UN statistics, at least 127 civilians have been killed since last year's ceasefire, highlighting the fragile security situation in the region.
