Damascus: Syria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has strongly condemned an Israeli strike on the southern province of Deraa, describing it as a violation of sovereignty that caused "significant human and material losses," according to the state-run SANA news agency.
The attack followed reports from the Israeli military that two projectiles had been launched from Syria and landed in uninhabited areas of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Syria, however, disputed the reports, saying they remain unconfirmed. The Foreign Ministry in Damascus reaffirmed that Syria neither has nor intends to threaten any party in the region.
“The region is vulnerable to destabilization by various actors pursuing their own agendas,” the ministry added, without identifying any group behind the reported launches.
In response, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz directly blamed Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa for the incident. “We hold the Syrian president fully accountable for any aggression against Israel, and a comprehensive response will follow,” Katz warned.
The escalation comes despite recent indirect contacts between Syria and Israel aimed at reducing tensions — a rare diplomatic overture between two long-time adversaries in the region.
Meanwhile, several Arab and Palestinian media outlets have attributed the projectile fire to a little-known faction calling itself the Muhammad Deif Brigades, a group seemingly named after the Hamas military commander killed by Israel in 2024. The authenticity of this claim has not been independently confirmed.
Following the projectile incident, the Israeli army said it responded with artillery fire targeting southern Syria. Local sources reported that Israeli mortars struck the Wadi Yarmouk region, located west of Deraa and near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. The area has been a flashpoint in recent weeks, with reports of Israeli incursions and restrictions placed on local agricultural activities.
Israel has been conducting a sustained air campaign against Syria in recent years, aimed at degrading the country’s military capabilities. It has also continued to occupy the Golan Heights, seized during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, and has expanded its territorial hold following the ousting of former President Bashar al-Assad in December, citing ongoing security threats from Syria’s new leadership.
Coinciding with the developments on the Syrian front, the Israeli military also reported intercepting a ballistic missile launched from Yemen. The Iran-backed Houthi movement claimed responsibility for the attack, stating it targeted the Israeli city of Jaffa as part of its ongoing operations in solidarity with Palestinians amid the Gaza conflict.
