Syrians protest Israeli incursions after death of disabled man

Syrian citizens took to the streets on Friday to condemn repeated military incursions by Israeli forces in the southern provinces of Quneitra and Daraa. The rallies followed an operation earlier in the week that resulted in the death of a man with a disability, an event that has intensified public anger over the security situation in the border regions.

State media reported that large crowds gathered in the capital, Damascus, as well as in Homs, located in central Syria. Protesters denounced the attacks and the physical presence of troops in the south. The demonstrations were a direct response to recent escalations in the buffer zone and surrounding areas.

In the city of Daraa, an AFP correspondent observed hundreds of people participating in a rally. Some demonstrators waved Syrian flags while others chanted slogans. Taysir al-Hariri, a protester at the scene, told the agency that the crowd aimed to send a message to the world. He said the nation stands united against incursions and against anyone tempted to tamper with national security.

Footage from state television showed marchers carrying posters with the text "We are all Moaz." The slogan referenced the man with special needs who, according to Syrian officials, was killed by Israeli fire a day prior to the rallies during an incursion in Daraa province. His death became a focal point for the public outcry against the military presence.

Outside a United Nations building in Damascus, the family of a Syrian man seized by Israeli forces held a gathering to demand his release. Children in the crowd held up posters with the message "I want my dad." The family’s presence added a personal dimension to the wider political protests taking place across the city.

State media also reported that Israeli forces advanced into part of Quneitra province on Friday. Troops blocked several roads and established new checkpoints. In the affected areas, soldiers bulldozed olive groves and detained local residents. These actions occurred as part of the ongoing military operations in the south.

The Israeli military has conducted hundreds of strikes in Syria since the new government took power in December 2024. That transition followed the toppling of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad. Israel has also sent troops into the UN-patrolled buffer zone that separated the two armies on the Golan Heights since 1974. The buffer zone had served as a critical dividing line for decades.

Israel has stated its intention to maintain troops in a security zone in southern Syria. The country seeks to establish a broader demilitarised area in the region. This strategic goal remains a central part of the military posture in the south as tensions persist between the two nations.