Syria Protests Erupt Over Israeli Incursions Following Man's Death
Rallies erupted across Syria on Friday to protest Israeli military activity in the south after a disabled man was killed earlier in the week.
By Arjun Patel ·
Protesters gathered in Syria on Friday, voicing anger over repeated Israeli military operations in the country's southern region. The demonstrations follow an incident earlier this week in which a man with a disability was killed during an operation in Daraa province.
The timeline of events leading to Friday's rallies began with Israeli forces entering Daraa province earlier this week. According to state media, Israeli troops fired upon a man with special needs, identified in broadcast footage as Moaz, resulting in his death. This event sparked immediate anger within the community.
Following this incident, reports emerged on Friday that Israeli forces advanced into parts of Quneitra province. State media confirmed that Israeli troops blocked several roads in the area. Additionally, there have been reports of Israeli forces bulldozing olive groves, establishing checkpoints, and detaining local residents in the vicinity.
In response to these developments, protests took place on Friday. State media reported that crowds assembled in the capital city of Damascus and in Homs, which is located in central Syria. Demonstrators in these areas denounced Israeli attacks and incursions in the southern provinces of Quneitra and Daraa.
In the city of Daraa, an AFP correspondent reported seeing hundreds of people participating in a rally. Some participants waved Syrian flags during the gathering. A protester named Taysir al-Hariri spoke to the agency about the purpose of the event.
Protester Taysir al-Hariri stated that demonstrators had come out to "send a message to the world" that Syria stands united "against Israeli incursions and against anyone who is tempted to tamper. with national security". During these gatherings, marchers carried posters displaying the text "We are all Moaz", referencing the man who was killed during the incursion in Daraa province.
Demonstrations were also held outside a United Nations building in Damascus. The family of a Syrian man who was seized by Israel gathered at this location to call for his release. Children participating in this gathering held up posters with the phrase "I want my dad".
These events occur within the context of long-standing military actions. The Israeli military has conducted hundreds of strikes in Syria and made frequent incursions into its territory since the new government assumed power after toppling longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.
Israel also sent troops into a UN-patrolled buffer zone that had separated Israeli and Syrian forces on the mainly Israeli-occupied Golan Heights since 1974. Israel has vowed to keep troops in a so-called "security zone" in southern Syria, where it seeks a broader demilitarised area.
Source: Middle East Eye
