Syrians march nationwide after Israeli troops expand control in the south
Protests erupted in Damascus, Homs, and Daraa following the killing of a man with a disability and new military advances in Quneitra province.
By Chioma Kuznetsov ·
Protesters gathered across Syria on Friday to demand an end to Israeli military operations in the country's southern border regions. The demonstrations followed a series of incursions that escalated tensions between the two neighbors earlier this week.
The immediate catalyst was the death of Moaz, a man with special needs who was killed by Israeli fire during an operation in Daraa province on Wednesday. State television showed marchers carrying posters with the slogan "We are all Moaz," linking the specific casualty to the broader regional conflict.
Crowds assembled in the capital, Damascus, and the central city of Homs, where they denounced attacks in the Quneitra and Daraa provinces. In Daraa, an AFP correspondent observed hundreds of demonstrators, some waving Syrian flags. Taysir al-Hariri, a protester at the scene, said the group had come out to "send a message to the world" that Syria stands united "against Israeli incursions and against anyone who is tempted to tamper. with national security".
Outside a United Nations building in Damascus, family members of a Syrian man detained by Israel held posters reading "I want my dad" while calling for his release. The visual contrast between the national rallies and the personal pleas highlighted the human cost of the ongoing border dispute.
On the ground, Israeli forces advanced into parts of Quneitra province on Friday, blocking several roads. Troops bulldozed olive groves, established new checkpoints, and detained local residents in the area. This expansion occurred after Israel deployed troops into the UN-patrolled buffer zone that has separated the two armies since 1974.
The current standoff builds on a pattern of activity since the new Syrian government took power in December 2024 after the fall of Bashar al-Assad. The Israeli military has conducted hundreds of strikes and frequent incursions since then, maintaining a commitment to hold a "security zone" in the south while seeking a wider demilitarized area.
