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An Israeli incursion into the town of Beit Jinn in the Damascus countryside sparked fierce clashes with local residents on Friday. The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported that Israeli forces killed 13 people and wounded 24 in an initial count. The Syrian Foreign Ministry condemned the attack, calling it a "full-fledged war crime."
Syrian field sources told Asharq News that "Israeli forces entered the town of Beit Jinn using unarmored military vehicles to arrest wanted individuals. They felt secure in an area where they frequently move."
The sources added that the Israeli forces, who entered the town at dawn on Friday and headed into an alley, were surprised by gunfire from local militants. The soldiers withdrew after several were wounded, abandoning one of their vehicles. Moments later, Israeli drones arrived and bombed the vehicle and surrounding buildings, resulting in casualties and injuries among the residents.
In the town, an elderly man named Abu Ibrahim told Asharq News, "We are a defenseless, elderly town. What right does Israel have to invade us like this at night? Did we fight them? Did we approach them? Where are the United Nations and the international community? Where is the world? What have we done to Israel? They have destroyed us. We have been living in war since 1942, and they are shooting at us. What right do they have to invade us? They entered the area around Mount Hermon, and they destroyed Beit Jann, injuring 40 people and destroying homes. What right do they have to invade us? Should we fight them?"
Ahmed al-Ahmad, a resident of the area, also told Asharq News, "Israeli enemy forces stormed the town of Beit Jann. This is not the first time the Israeli enemy has stormed this town. Their aim was to arrest young men from the town, which prompted the residents to resist the Israeli patrol. An exchange of fire ensued, and the Israeli enemy began firing indiscriminately, resulting in civilian casualties. The injuries were among the people, not those who resisted them."
Clashes in Beit Jinn
The Syrian Foreign Ministry stated that the Israeli attack on the village caused a "large displacement of residents," calling on the UN Security Council, the United Nations, and the Arab League to take immediate action to "put an end to the policy of aggression and repeated violations committed by the Israeli occupation against the Syrian people, and to take deterrent measures that guarantee respect for international law, the UN Charter, and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Syrian Republic."
The clashes resulted in the deaths of 13 Syrians, including women and children, while others remain trapped under the rubble, according to Syrian state media. The Israeli army announced in a statement that six of its soldiers sustained serious to moderate injuries during the clashes.
According to the official Syrian news channel, Al-Ikhbariya, the confrontations between Israeli forces and local residents involved an exchange of fire, artillery shelling, and helicopter gunship activity.
Israeli forces arrested three residents of the town before withdrawing. The town's residents surrounded the Israeli forces, who had attempted to abduct one of the residents, and requested reinforcements from neighboring villages.
Following the clashes, Israeli forces withdrew from the town of Beit Jann and took up positions on Bat al-Warda hill on the town's outskirts.
Six Israeli soldiers were wounded in Beit Jann.
The Israeli army claimed that gunmen opened fire on its forces, which it said had gone out to arrest wanted individuals. The army stated that the forces returned fire, supported by air power in the area, and that six of its soldiers sustained serious to moderate injuries during the clashes.
In its statement following the clashes, the Israeli army said that forces from the 55th Reserve Brigade, under the command of the 210th Division, launched an incursion to arrest a number of Syrians accused of carrying out attacks against Israelis.
The Israeli army also claimed that a number of gunmen, according to the statement, initiated the shooting at the Israeli forces, who then requested air support. During the incursion, the Israeli forces called in fighter jets, tanks, and drones, which attacked several locations in the village.
Israeli reports indicated that the attack caught the invading forces by surprise, as they did not anticipate any engagement.
Saudi, Gulf, and British Condemnations
For his part, the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Jassem Al-Budaiwi, condemned the Israeli bombing of the town of Beit Jinn on Friday, warning that the continued Israeli violations of Syrian territory exacerbate tensions and undermine efforts to establish stability and security in the region.
In a statement, Al-Budaiwi emphasized the importance of preserving Syria's territorial integrity, protecting its sovereignty and stability, and the necessity of strengthening security and stability in the region, in accordance with the principles of international law and the provisions of the UN Charter.
The GCC Secretary-General called on the international community to take immediate and responsible action to stop the repeated Israeli attacks and prevent a slide towards further escalation that threatens regional and international peace.
The aftermath of the Israeli army's incursion into Beit Jinn in the Damascus countryside. November 28, 2025 - SANA
The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed the Kingdom's condemnation and denunciation of the blatant attack carried out by Israeli occupation forces on the town of Beit Jinn in the Damascus countryside, affirming its complete rejection of all Israeli violations of Syrian territory and attempts to destabilize Syria's security and stability.
Saudi Arabia reiterated its demand that the international community, particularly the permanent members of the Security Council, address the repeated Israeli violations of Syrian sovereignty and the criminal Israeli practices against the population in Syrian border villages and areas. It called for the implementation of all relevant international resolutions and laws to guarantee the sovereignty, unity, and security of Syria and its people.
British Special Envoy to Syria, Anne Snow, stated on Friday that the continued Israeli incursions into Syria are "unacceptable."
The envoy added on her X account: "We urge Israel to respect Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity and to fulfill its obligations towards peace, stability, and security."
A Series of Israeli Incursions into Syria
This escalation follows a series of previous Israeli incursions into the region in recent months. In late August, Israeli forces established a presence on Tel Bat, at the foot of Mount Hermon near Beit Jann, after an Israeli army convoy of 11 vehicles and more than 50 soldiers entered the area.
In June, Israeli forces also entered the town and launched an attack that killed a young Syrian man.
Israel expanded its military presence in southern Syria after the overthrow of former President Bashar al-Assad's regime last December, seizing positions east of the UN-monitored buffer zone separating the occupied Golan Heights from Syrian territory.
Since the overthrow of the Assad regime, Israel has launched unprecedented airstrikes against Syrian military assets, including the Ministry of Defense, and has deployed forces to southern Syria.
For months, Syria has been holding talks with Israel, mediated by the United States, to reach a security agreement that Damascus hopes will lead to Israel relinquishing the territories it recently seized, but this falls short of being a full peace treaty.