The Israeli military said Sunday it has carried out a ground raid into Syria, seizing a Syrian citizen involved in Iranian networks. It was the first time in the current war that Israel announced its troops operated in Syrian territory.
Israel has carried out airstrikes in Syria multiple times over the past year, targeting members of Lebanon’s Hezbollah and officials from Iran, a close ally of both Hezbollah and Syria. However, it has not previously made public any ground forays into Syria.
The Israeli military said the seizure was part of a special operation “that took place in recent months,” though it did not provide an exact timeline. Syria did not immediately confirm the announcement, but a pro-government Syrian radio station reported that an Israeli “kidnapping operation” had taken place over the summer.
The disclosure comes as Israel has waged an escalated campaign of bombardment in Lebanon for the past six weeks, as well as a ground invasion along the countries’ shared border. The army identified the man seized as Ali Soleiman al-Assi, saying he lives in southern Syria and was involved in Iranian initiatives targeting areas of the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights.
Body camera footage released by the Israeli military showed soldiers seizing a man inside a building. The man was brought to Israel for interrogation, officials said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the Lebanon border on Sunday, saying his focus was trying to keep Hezbollah from rearming itself through the “oxygen lifeline” of Iranian weapons transferred to Lebanon via Syria. Israel’s strikes in Lebanon have killed over 2,500 people in the past year.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces continued an offensive in northern Gaza, where they say they are battling Hamas fighters. Several hospitals in the territory have been hit by Israeli shelling, drawing condemnation from the United Nations.
