Key facts
- Israeli troops entered the Syrian town of Abdin, encountering resistance from residents.
- Residents blocked roads with rocks and threw stones at the Israeli military patrol.
- Israeli forces fired warning shots and artillery rounds into the village.
- Most residents fled Abdin due to fear of further escalation.
- Syria's interim president called for Israel to withdraw from the occupied buffer zone.
- An Israeli military official reported killing two militants planning an attack.
Israeli troops faced resistance from residents in the southern Syrian town of Abdin on Sunday, as locals blocked roads with rocks and threw stones to push back a military patrol. The incursion into the town, located near a U.N.-patrolled buffer zone now controlled by Israeli forces, led to warning shots and artillery fire from the Israeli military. Most residents fled the village due to fear of escalation, with many anxious about future incursions.
Residents described regular visits by Israeli troops in armored vehicles, searching homes and causing distress. The Israeli military stated that the buffer zone was seized in December 2024 following the ouster of former Syrian President Bashar Assad, and that they plan to occupy it indefinitely to prevent attacks from militant groups. This strategy is part of a broader, more aggressive approach by Israel after the October 2023 Hamas-led attacks.
Syria's interim president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, has called for Israel's withdrawal from the 235 square kilometer buffer zone, and the Syrian government condemned the actions in Abdin. The clashes followed an announcement by the Israeli military that armed men had been killed in southern Syria. An Israeli military official claimed two militants planning an attack were killed, and separately, the mayor of Hadar reported two unknown individuals were killed in a pickup truck attack south of the village, with their bodies taken by the Israeli military.
Residents had hoped that U.S.-mediated talks between Israel and Syria would ease tensions, but these appear to have stalled. Many are leaving the area due to the unstable security situation, lack of jobs, and services, facing water and electricity shortages. Farmers are struggling to access their land and water sources, with calls for international pressure on Israel to cease its incursions.