Israel conducts drone strike near Damascus, ground raids in Quneitra

Israeli military activity intensified in Syria on Wednesday with a drone strike in the Damascus countryside and ground operations in the south, Syrian state media reported. The incidents represent a continued pattern of cross-border actions that Damascus condemns as violations of its sovereignty.

Details of the Drone Strike and Previous Attack

The state-run Alikhbariah TV channel reported that an Israeli drone targeted an area close to Beit Jinn village west of Damascus. There were no immediate reports of casualties from this strike. This location was also the site of a deadly Israeli raid last Friday, which Syrian sources said killed at least 13 people, including women and children, and injured 24 others.

Ground Incursions in Southern Syria

Separately, the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported Israeli ground operations in the Quneitra governorate, near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. According to the agency, Israeli military forces entered the village of Um al-Izam and established a checkpoint. A separate patrol of three Israeli vehicles was reported advancing towards the village of Rwihinah further south. The Israeli military has not commented on the reports.

Context of Escalating Israeli Operations

These latest actions occurred despite recent calls for restraint from U.S. President Donald Trump. Syrian government data cited by local media indicates a significant escalation since late 2024, with Israel carrying out over 1,000 airstrikes and more than 400 cross-border ground raids. Following the collapse of the Bashar al-Assad government, Israel expanded its control in the Golan Heights by moving into the former demilitarized buffer zone, a step that breached the terms of a 1974 disengagement agreement.