Syrians March in Dozens of Cities Following Fatal Strike in Daraa

Protesters gathered in Damascus and Homs on Friday to condemn recent Israeli military operations in southern Syria. The demonstrations followed the death of a man with a disability, identified by state media as Moaz, who was killed by Israeli fire during an incursion in Daraa province earlier this week.

An AFP correspondent in Daraa observed hundreds of demonstrators, some waving Syrian flags. Taysir al-Hariri, a protester at the rally, stated that the crowds aimed to "send a message to the world" that Syria stands united "against Israeli incursions and against anyone who is tempted to tamper. with national security". Footage from state television showed marchers holding posters with the slogan "We are all Moaz".

The rallies coincided with reported advances by Israeli forces into Quneitra province. State media reported that troops blocked several roads, bulldozed olive groves, and established checkpoints. The military also detained residents in the area. Outside a United Nations building in Damascus, the family of a Syrian man seized by Israel called for his release. Their children held posters reading "I want my dad".

Since the new government took power after toppling Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, the Israeli military has conducted hundreds of strikes in Syria. Israel has also made frequent incursions into the country and sent troops into a UN-patrolled buffer zone that separated forces on the Golan Heights since 1974. Israeli authorities have vowed to maintain troops in a security zone in the south, seeking a larger demilitarized area.

State media confirmed the location of the rallies in the capital and central Syria. The demonstrations focused specifically on the southern provinces of Quneitra and Daraa. The timing of the protests marked a response to the specific incidents of the previous days, including the fatal strike and the physical incursion into Quneitra territory.