Israeli military patrol approaches Syrian town southwest of Damascus: Local media

An Israeli military patrol on Tuesday entered the outskirts of Syria’s town of Beit Jinn located southwest of Damascus, local media has reported.

According to Syria’s Alikhbariah television channel, the patrol has approached Bat al-Warda, a hill overlooking Beit Jinn.

The channel did not provide details on the size of the Israeli force or the ostensible aim of the incursion.

The reported incident comes amid repeated Israeli attacks and armed incursions in southwestern Syria, especially areas west of Damascus.

Syrian authorities have yet to comment on the latest incident, while Israel has not publicly explained why its forces reportedly entered the area.

The reported incursion comes shortly after Israeli warplanes struck the Abu al-Duhur Military Airbase in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province.

Before the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in late 2024, Israel frequently struck positions in Syria that it claimed were linked to Iranian-backed forces.

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Following al-Assad’s ouster, Israel expanded its strikes to include weapons depots and strategic military positions throughout Syria.

In recent weeks, southwestern Syria has seen almost daily Israeli attacks and incursions, which have included raids, searches, arrest campaigns, and the setting up of military checkpoints.

In late July, Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa said his government was working in tandem with several countries to conclude a security agreement with Israel.

He said a successful agreement would “pave the way for comprehensive peace” without abandoning Syria’s claim to the Golan Heights, most of which Israel has occupied since 1967.

Following al-Assad’s departure, Israel declared its 1974 Disengagement Agreement with Syria null and void before seizing a UN-monitored buffer zone and other positions inside Syrian territory.

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