DAMASCUS, Syria — The Israeli military said Sunday it carried out a targeted airstrike in southern Syria, killing an alleged Hamas operative, as cross-border tensions escalate following the fall of Syria’s longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad.
In a statement released on Telegram, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the strike took place in the Mazraat Beit Jin area, a mountainous region near the United Nations-monitored buffer zone separating Syria and Israeli-occupied territory. The Israeli army did not name the alleged Hamas figure but claimed the target was involved in anti-Israel activities.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed that one person was killed and two others were wounded when a vehicle was hit in the strike. The group did not independently verify the victim’s affiliation. Hamas has yet to issue a statement on the incident.
The strike marks the latest in a series of Israeli attacks inside Syrian territory this year. According to the Observatory, Israel has conducted 61 attacks in Syria since January—51 by air and 10 by ground—most targeting alleged Iranian and Hezbollah-linked positions, as well as suspected Palestinian militants.
Tensions flared earlier this week when two rockets were launched into Israeli territory from Syria—an unprecedented move since the fall of Assad in December. Responsibility was claimed by two little-known factions: the “Martyr Mohammed Deif Brigades,” named after a late Hamas military commander, and the “Islamic Resistance Front in Syria,” which had previously called for resistance against Israel from southern Syria.
In response to the rocket fire, Israel launched a retaliatory strike in southern Syria. Defense Minister Israel Katz said the Syrian government bears full responsibility for “any and all attacks launched from its territory.”
Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani condemned the latest Israeli actions as “coordinated provocations aimed at undermining Syria’s progress and stability.” He warned that the ongoing strikes could create openings for extremist groups to regain footholds in the country, adding, “Syria has made its intentions clear: we are not seeking war, but rather reconstruction.”
While indirect talks had recently begun between Syria and Israel aimed at easing tensions, hopes for progress have been undermined by what Syrian officials describe as persistent Israeli aggression. The IDF has continued to conduct aerial operations across Syria, damaging what remains of the country’s depleted military infrastructure.
Israel has maintained a military presence in the Syrian Golan Heights since capturing the territory during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War and has expanded its strategic footprint since Assad’s ouster. Israeli officials have expressed growing concerns over Syria’s new leadership under President Ahmed al-Sharaa, whom they describe as aligned with radical Islamist elements.
Despite Israeli objections, the new Syrian government has made diplomatic gains in recent weeks. Both the United States and European Union lifted longstanding sanctions last month, offering Damascus a crucial economic boost as it seeks to recover from nearly 14 years of civil war.
