The comments leaked by Israel’s public broadcaster in which Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warns of a possible breach of the border fence from within Syria — even by Houthi elements — was not depiction of a distant theoretical scenario. Almost simultaneously, the Israeli army was preparing for a complex operation in the Syrian town of Beit Jinn, according to exclusive sources who spoke to Alhurra. In the early hours of Friday morning, reservists from Spearhead Brigade 55, operating under the Israeli Army’s 210th Division, carried out a military raid in Beit Jinn in southern Syria. Their objective is to arrest a number of wanted individuals who are members of the Islamic Group and whom Israel says are involved in developing terrorist plots against it. According to the army’s statement, which Alhurra received, the arrests were carried out inside a house without significant resistance. However, immediately after the troops exited the building, they came under heavy fire from an estimated distance of 200 meters. One military vehicle was hit, leaving six soldiers injured. Two officers and a reservist sustained serious injuries.
Backed by air support, the Israeli unit engaged a number of gunmen in close quarters combat inside a building. A number of militants “were neutralized and the operation was accomplished as planned” according to a statement from the army. The director of Health Services in Damascus Countryside said, Tawfiq Hasaba, said that 13 people were killed in the Israeli attack on Beit Jinn. Footage from a body camera that was later released by the army shows an intense zero-distance exchange of fire between Israeli troops and the attackers. Special security sources told Alhurra that the operation was not random. It capped weeks of precise intelligence gathering and formed part of a broader arrest campaign known as “Hetz HaBashan” (Bashan Arrow), carried out by the 210th Division against cells operating in southern Syria — particularly around Quneitra and southwestern Damascus countryside. The same sources said three Syrian individuals were arrested. They belonged to organizations involved in smuggling and planning attacks inside the Golan Heights. Israel, the sources added, wanted to send a two-fold message: conducting preemptive operations deep inside “enemy territory,” and preventing militant groups there from rebuilding capabilities.
In a special comment on the operation, a senior security official said: “The Israeli army is operating under a new doctrine that requires pushing forward, i.e. defending Israel from within enemy territory and not only from behind the border line. The security environment we had before October 6 will never return.” The operation was planned as Defense Minister Katz made interesting remarks during a closed session of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. He said Israel “is not headed toward peace with Syria,” warning that various forces — including the Houthis — are operating inside Syrian territory and are pondering possible ground forays into the Golan. Katz added that “Syria is not on a quest for peace,” stressing that Israel is closely monitoring militant factions— including those linked to Iran, Hezbollah, and the Houthis. He warned of an “unusual scenario” involving a surprise border breach by these groups under the cover of regional escalation or a symbolic suicide attack.
The defense minister also addressed developments concerning the Druze community in southern Syria, noting that the Israeli army has prepared a plan for immediate intervention should “abuses or atrocities” recur in Druze Mount, even if such a response would require a full closure of the border. Israel’s official broadcaster quoted a Syrian official as saying that Damascus was “open to addressing any Israeli security concerns if communicated formally,” adding that Syria did not intend to allow offensive operations to be launched from its territory and that rocket fire harms “the state-rebuilding project.”
While Israel’s military action in Syria certainly carries outward-facing messages, it cannot be dissociated from domestic political calculations now that Israel has entered a heated election year. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and senior ministers visited Syrian territory last week to inspect Israeli forces deployed in the area — a symbolic move and a message from Israel to the Syrian regime about its security interests and priorities. Whether the Beit Jinn operation marked the beginning of a pre-planned military expansion inside Syria or was just a limited move to establish deterrence in line with electioneering promises remains to be seen as developments unfold on the ground.
