Israel’s raid on a Syrian village kills 13; Hamas denounces the assault

Damascus/Tel Aviv (The Uttam Hindu): After a long conflict in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army has now turned its guns towards Syria. Israel launched a major military operation in the dark of night in a village in southern Syria, killing at least 13 people. The Israeli army has described it as an action against terrorists, while the Syrian government has termed it a 'horrific massacre' and a 'war crime'. Syria's state news agency SANA confirmed the deaths and said that Israel is once again trying to plunge the entire region into the fire of violence.

It is being told about the incident that the Israeli army entered this village of southern Syria at night with tanks and heavy weapons. Eyewitness Iyad Tahir said that he was sleeping at night, when suddenly he woke up due to the sound of heavy firing. When he came out, he saw that an Israeli army operation was going on in the village and soldiers and tanks were deployed all around. Soon after this, aerial bombardment also started. Ahmed Kamal, who is injured in the hospital, told AFP that the villagers had also opened fire to protect themselves, but his brother was killed in the Israeli attack and he himself was seriously injured. Local official Walid Okasha claims that the people killed were civilians.

Meanwhile, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have claimed that dangerous terrorists from the Jama'a Islamia group were hiding in the village. Israel alleges that this Islamic organization was conspiring against them in collaboration with Hamas and the Houthis. According to the army, several terrorists were killed and suspects were arrested during the operation. Six Israeli soldiers were also injured in the operation. The Israeli army stated that the operation is now over after retaliatory fire and airstrikes.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry has strongly condemned the attack. In its statement, the ministry said that the casualties included women and children, making it a heinous crime. The Syrian government, calling it a blatant violation of the country's sovereignty, has demanded immediate action from the international community to stop the Israeli incursion. It is noteworthy that since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's government and the formation of a new regime in Syria, Israel has intensified its attacks. Israel has deployed troops in the buffer zone and tightened its grip on the Golan Heights, raising tensions between the two countries. Currently, there are reports of talks on a possible security agreement to reduce tensions between the two sides, but the situation on the ground remains extremely fragile.