Israeli Forces Kill One, Detain Seven in Southern Syria Raid

Israeli forces conducted a pre-dawn raid on the Syrian village of Beit Jinn, targeting several alleged members of the Palestinian militant group Hamas suspected of planning attacks on Israel. The Israeli military stated that weapons were confiscated and those detained were taken to Israel for further investigation. Syrian officials reported that one civilian was killed during the operation, with the victim’s family saying he had a mental disability and was shot while trying to intervene. Syria condemned the raid as a violation of its sovereignty and called on the international community to stop such incursions, which it said increase regional tensions. Villagers denied any connections to Hamas, and local officials noted this was the first time Israeli troops entered the village center, marking an escalation after previous drone strikes and incursions on the outskirts. This raid follows a recent pattern of intensified Israeli military actions in southern Syria since the fall of President Bashar Assad's government in December 2024.