Israeli shells hit Damascus outskirts during peace talks

Israeli occupation forces shelled the Bat al-Warda hill area near the town of Beit Jinn in western Damascus on Thursday, Syrian state media reported, marking the second such attack in less than a week as diplomats from both sides pursue fragile ceasefire negotiations.

Shelling targets Damascus outskirts

Alikhbaria TV reported: "Israeli occupation forces fired four shells toward the area around Bat al-Warda hill, near the town of Beit Jinn, in the western Damascus countryside." There were no immediate reports of casualties or material damage from the incident, and Syrian authorities did not issue an official statement.

Diplomatic context

The Thursday strike followed a similar attack on the same hill on Saturday, coming just days after Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani led a delegation to meet Israeli officials in Jordan under US mediation. A diplomatic source at the Foreign Ministry told the official Syrian Arab News Agency that the meeting was held "as part of efforts to de-escalate tensions following Israel’s recent shelling of Syrian territory and the escalation of tensions in southern Syria."

Occupation and peace talks

Parts of southern Syria have witnessed near-daily Israeli incursions and attacks since the fall of the Assad regime, particularly in Quneitra and Daraa provinces, including raids, searches, arrests and the establishment of military checkpoints. Israel has occupied most of the Golan Heights since 1967, and after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime on Dec. 8, 2024, Israel declared the 1974 disengagement agreement void and seized the Syrian buffer zone and other strategic positions, including the Syrian side of Mount Hermon. On July 26, Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa said his government is working with several countries to reach a security agreement with Israel, adding that a successful deal "will pave the way for comprehensive peace without relinquishing Syria’s right to the occupied Golan Heights."