Israel arrests Hamas suspects in Southwest Syria
Shafaq News/ Israeli troops arrested several Hamas operatives in southwestern Syria, the Israeli military announced on Thursday.
Carried out overnight, the raid targeted the town of Beit Jinn, about 50 kilometers southwest of Damascus, where Hamas members were allegedly planning attacks on Israeli troops in Syria, according to the military. Firearms and ammunition were seized, and the suspects were transferred to Israel for interrogation.
Hamas has yet to comment on the incident.
Syria’s Interior Ministry rejected Israel’s claims, stating that those arrested were civilians from the area. A ministry spokesperson told Reuters that seven people were detained and one person was killed by Israeli fire.
Tel Aviv has warned that Damascus could serve as a base for Hamas-style attacks, referring to the October 7 assault, since which Israel has killed more than 54,981 Palestinians—mostly women and children.
Following the collapse of Bashar Al-Assad's regime on December 8, 2024, Israel has carried out hundreds of airstrikes, destroying missile depots, radar systems, and chemical weapons facilities, citing concerns about alleged security threats emanating from Syria under its new government.
Israeli forces have also launched ground incursions into southern Syria, seizing the demilitarized buffer zone in the Golan Heights, a move seen as a violation of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement. Troops have also fortified positions on Mount Hermon, signaling a push for long-term control.
Amid the security escalation, Axios reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently proposed initiating direct talks with Syria under US mediation. If realized, it would mark the first formal engagement between the two countries since 2011.
