Nationwide Syrian Protests Follow Fatal Strike and Southern Incursion

Protesters filled streets in Damascus, Homs, and Daraa on Friday to challenge Israeli military operations in southern Syria. The demonstrations followed a strike earlier in the week that killed a man with a disability. State media reported that crowds specifically denounced attacks in the Quneitra and Daraa provinces.

In Daraa, an AFP correspondent observed hundreds of participants waving national flags. Taysir al-Hariri, a protester at the scene, stated the group aimed to send a global message that Syria remains united against incursions threatening national security. Footage from state television showed marchers holding posters with the slogan "We are all Moaz," referencing the slain man.

Outside a United Nations building in Damascus, the family of a Syrian man currently held by Israeli forces demanded his release. Children in the crowd held signs reading "I want my dad." The rallies coincided with reports that Israeli forces advanced into part of Quneitra province, blocking multiple roads. Troops in the area bulldozed olive groves, established checkpoints, and detained local residents.

Israel has conducted hundreds of strikes and frequent incursions since Syria’s new government assumed power in December 2024. This followed the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad. The military also entered the UN-patrolled buffer zone separating forces on the Golan Heights, a line in place since 1974. The Israeli military maintains troops in a designated "security zone" in the south, aiming to secure a wider demilitarized area.