Israeli Forces Kill Disabled Syrian Civilian in Deraa Home Raids Amidst Escalating Tensions

Israeli forces shot dead a Syrian civilian with disabilities during raids on homes in the southern governorate of Deraa, state news agency Sana reported on Thursday. According to Sana, troops fired indiscriminately and positioned snipers on rooftops as Israeli forces entered the village of Jamlah and conducted searches of homes. The body of the deceased was transferred to Deraa National Hospital.

The incident follows an earlier event on Wednesday night when Israeli forces shelled the outskirts of Abidin in the western Deraa countryside. Two shells landed west of the town, with no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

Sana reported that Israeli attacks and incursions into Syria have escalated since the ousting of president Bashar Al Assad's regime in December 2024, with a notable intensification in recent months. Following the regime's fall, Israel declared the 1974 Disengagement Agreement void and proceeded to take control of the Syrian buffer zone, as well as seizing positions beyond it. Israeli forces have continued to violate this agreement through repeated incursions into southern Syria, raids on civilian homes, arrests, land seizures, and missile attacks.

On Sunday, Syria's Foreign Ministry condemned an increase in Israeli incursions into Quneitra province and the Deraa countryside, coupled with more frequent helicopter, reconnaissance, and warplane flights over the south. The ministry stated in a statement that these violations “undermine the prospects for achieving stability and security in the region in general and Syria in particular, and obstruct reconstruction and recovery efforts”. The ministry urged the international community to halt these incursions and compel Israel to comply with international law and UN resolutions.

In early October, the UN reported that Israel was holding 49 Syrians and had conducted 280 armed incursions into southern Syria during September. A statement by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk indicated that released detainees alleged torture and ill-treatment, including beatings, prolonged forced standing, and threats against their families.