Israel raids Syria and strikes Lebanon, marking new violation of sovereignty and agreed truce
Israeli troops enter Syria’s Daraa province before withdrawing, while Israeli warplanes carry out strikes in southern Lebanon, local media in both countries report.
Israeli forces have raided the Yarmouk Basin in Syria’s southern Daraa province, in a further violation of the country’s sovereignty. Separately, Israeli military carried a series of air strikes on three areas in southern Lebanon, yet again breaching the agreed truce.
The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) said on Friday the Israeli military, including four military vehicles and about 20 troops, advanced towards the Jamlah company site in the Yarmouk Basin in western Daraa.
The troops reportedly deployed around the area before withdrawing a short time later.
The reported raid followed another Israeli incursion a day earlier in southern Syria.
On Thursday, an Israeli force comprising two pickup trucks moved from the Adnaniyah area towards the village of Umm al-Azam, before continuing to the village of Ruwaihina in the northern Quneitra countryside and later withdrawing.
Israeli military has repeatedly entered Syrian territory and carried out air strikes, killing civilians and destroying Syrian military sites, vehicles, weapons and ammunition.
Continued violations in Lebanon
Also on Friday, Israeli warplanes carried out a series of air strikes on three areas in southern Lebanon, despite a ceasefire agreement that has been in place since November 2024 but repeatedly breached by Israel.
Lebanon’s state news agency NNA said the Israeli strikes targeted the heights of Jabal al-Rihan in the Jezzine district.
Israeli fighter jets also carried out two strikes on a valley near the town of Zrariyeh in the Sidon district.
In the Nabatieh district, Israeli aircraft launched three airstrikes on a valley between the towns of Kafrwa and Aazza, the agency said.
A civilian was wounded in a strike on the town of Ansar, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.
The strikes were the first announced by Israel in southern Lebanon since hawkish Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned from a five-day visit to the United States.
Netanyahu, along with his former defence minister Yoav Gallant, is wanted by the UN-backed International Criminal Court for “war crimes and crimes against humanity” in besieged Gaza.
Israel and Lebanon reached the ceasefire after more than a year of cross-border attacks amid Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
Israel killed more than 4,000 people in Lebanon while 17,000 others were wounded.
Under the agreement, Israeli military was supposed to withdraw from southern Lebanon in January but has only partially pulled out, maintaining an occupation at five border outposts.