Syria: Nationwide rallies follow fatal strike in the south
Protests erupted in Damascus and other cities after a disabled man was killed by Israeli fire during an incursion.
By Kenji Garnier ·
Protest rallies took place across Syria on Friday as demonstrators reacted to repeated military operations in the country's southern regions.
State media reported large crowds gathering in the capital, Damascus, and in the central city of Homs. Participants waved national flags and denounced attacks in the southern provinces of Quneitra and Daraa. In Daraa, an AFP correspondent observed hundreds of people at a rally.
Taysir al-Hariri, a protester in Daraa, told the agency that the gathering aimed to "send a message to the world" that Syria stands united. He stated the goal was to oppose "Israeli incursions and against anyone who is tempted to tamper. with national security".
Footage from state television showed marchers carrying posters with the slogan "We are all Moaz." The name refers to a man with special needs whom Syrian authorities said was killed by Israeli fire a day earlier during an incursion in Daraa province.
Outside a United Nations building in Damascus, the family of a Syrian man detained by Israel called for his release. Children in the group held signs reading "I want my dad".
Israeli forces advanced into part of Quneitra province earlier this week, blocking several roads. Troops bulldozed olive groves, established checkpoints, and detained residents in the area.
Since the new government took power in December 2024, the Israeli military has conducted hundreds of strikes in Syria. Israel also deployed troops into a UN-patrolled buffer zone on the Golan Heights. The Israeli government has vowed to maintain a presence in a security zone in southern Syria.
Syrian officials and protesters continue to demand the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the southern provinces of Quneitra and Daraa.
Source: Middle East Eye
