Israel Shifts Focus to Airstrikes in Syria Following Deadly Beit Jann Operation
Israeli media reports have unveiled a strategic shift within Israeli security agencies, aiming to decrease ground arrest operations while enhancing reliance on aerial strikes in Syria. This change follows a violent operation in the village of Beit Jann, which resulted in the deaths and injuries of 13 civilians.
Channel 13 in Israel highlighted this new direction, quoting security leaders who stated that "the events in Beit Jann were not a planned ambush but a reaction from local residents who observed military activity and opened fire." This development is seen as a strategy to minimize risks for Israeli forces.
The announcement follows an Israeli military operation in Beit Jann, located in the western outskirts of Damascus, early Friday morning, which Syrian sources reported resulted in the deaths of 13 civilians, including women and children.
According to Syrian state television, "the bombing occurred after clashes between residents and an Israeli army patrol that entered Beit Jann and arrested three young men before retreating to a position on the Bat al-Warda hill outside the village."
The Israeli army confirmed that reserve forces from Battalion 55 conducted operations in the village to apprehend suspects, asserting that their troops "came under fire during the operation and responded with fire supported by air cover." The military reported that two officers and a reservist were seriously injured, along with others sustaining moderate to minor injuries.
The bombing prompted residents to flee to nearby villages, with several injured individuals arriving at Al-Muwasat University Hospital. The Minister of Higher Education, Marwan al-Halabi, confirmed to the media that "medical personnel are prepared to treat the cases and that hospitals are fully equipped."
Additionally, protests erupted in Syria following Friday prayers, with thousands gathering in main squares across cities to denounce the Israeli bombings in Beit Jann and call for Syrian unity.
Beyond the incident in Beit Jann, Israeli violations were reported on various fronts in Syria, with Syrian media detailing an Israeli force's incursion into the Yarmouk Valley in Daraa, while SANA reported Israeli forces firing on civilians in Al-Hamidiyah village in Quneitra, also preventing residents from returning to their village for half an hour after participating in a public event.
