Israeli forces killed at least 13 people during a pre-dawn raid Friday in a Syrian village near the Israeli border, Syrian officials said, marking the deadliest Israeli operation since troops seized a portion of southern Syria following the collapse of the Assad regime.
The raid on Beit Jinn, located approximately 4.3 miles (seven kilometers) east of Israel’s border, also left six Israeli soldiers wounded, three of them seriously, according to the Israel Defense Forces.
The Israeli military said soldiers from the 55th Reserve Paratroopers Brigade entered the village around 3 a.m. to arrest two brothers affiliated with al-Jama’a al-Islamiyya. According to the IDF, the suspects had previously launched rockets at Israeli territory.
The IDF released body-camera footage showing troops and the arrests of the two suspects.
Syrian state news agency SANA reported that Israeli forces opened heavy fire after being confronted by residents, prompting dozens of families to flee the area.
Syria’s Foreign Ministry condemned the operation as a “full-fledged war crime” and called for United Nations and Arab League intervention.
Syrian Foreign Ministry:
We condemn the criminal Israeli aggression in the town of Beit Jinn, which led to clashes as a result of the residents’ resistance.
The occupying forces committed a horrific massacre that claimed the lives of more than 10 civilians, including women and… pic.twitter.com/4neKkvn1vH
— Clash Report (@clashreport) November 28, 2025
Walid Okasha, a local official in Beit Jinn, told The Associated Press that civilians were among those killed, including a man, his wife, their two children and his brother, as well as another man who had married the day before.
Another resident told the AP that Israeli troops were met with “slight resistance, with light weapons.” While the IDF reportedly responded with drones, helicopters and heavy machine guns.
The IDF publishes footage showing its airstrikes against gunmen in the southern Syrian village of Beit Jinn, after troops came under fire during an arrest operation.
According to Syrian media, at least ten people were killed by the Israeli strikes. The military says that it… pic.twitter.com/9GnWNqWOGG
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) November 28, 2025
The IDF said troops successfully detained the two suspects but came under fire as they departed the village. During the clash, Israeli forces abandoned a Humvee that became stuck in the village, which was later destroyed by an Israeli airstrike to prevent its capture.
The IDF lost a Humvee last night in Beit Jinn. Following an ambush which led to 6 injuries, they abandoned the vehicle and later bombed it. pic.twitter.com/mnAjRnTBqn
— Woofers (@NotWoofers) November 28, 2025
Six Israeli soldiers were evacuated by helicopter to hospitals. Two seriously wounded reservists were taken into surgery before transfer to an intensive care unit.
Friday’s operation represents the latest in a series of Israeli raids in southern Syria. On June 12, Israeli forces captured a Hamas cell of six operatives in Beit Jinn who were reportedly planning attacks on IDF forces.
Israeli forces have maintained control over a 155-square-mile (400-square-kilometer) buffer zone in southern Syria since December 2024, when Islamist insurgents toppled President Bashar Assad. Israel says the deployment is temporary and aims to prevent militants from establishing positions near its border. Critics accuse Israel of exploiting Syria’s instability for territorial expansion.
