ALBAWABA - The Israeli army said that armed rebels fired on Israeli soldiers in the freed district of Quneitra for the first time since Israel invaded Syria and occupied the demilitarized zone in the Golan Heights.
The Israeli military claims that no Israeli troops were hurt in the Friday night strike. Israeli military retaliated by firing back at the attack's origin.
This was the first direct assault on Israeli soldiers since they moved into the demilitarized zone in the Golan and other southern Syrian territories after the fall of the Assad government, according to Israeli Army Radio, which called the episode unique.
The assault happened during an Israeli ground operation in Taranja, northern Quneitra, according to a journalist with Al Jazeera.
Illuminating grenades were used to examine the area, and Israeli military helicopters were sent in to assure a safe evacuation. After making two arrests, Israeli forces withdrew.
Israeli soldiers have repeatedly invaded Quneitra and Daraa since the overthrow of the Assad administration on December 8, 2024, taking control of strategic locations along the Golan Heights border. Israel has remained in the demilitarized zone while withdrawing from the majority of it, which has drawn condemnation from both domestic and foreign quarters.
The UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, called on Israel to leave Syrian land during a speech at the UN headquarters in New York.
Lacroix emphasized that the 1974 disengagement pact between Israel and Syria is broken by Israel's military presence, saying, "The sooner Israeli forces withdraw from Syria, the better."
He also raised concerns about security hazards for UN staff and pointed out that Israel's presence in the demilitarized zone makes UN peacekeeping operations more difficult.
"We continue to remind Israeli officials that their presence in the demilitarized zone is a violation, and we look forward to the resolution of this issue," Lacroix said in response to a question regarding specific actions to put pressure on Israel.
