Syria’s Foreign Ministry condemned on Friday the “war crimes” committed by Israeli occupation forces during a deadly raid and subsequent airstrikes on the village of Beit Jinn, southwest of Damascus.

Earlier in the day, Syrian state media reported that Israeli fighter jets carried out multiple strikes on the village, located around 50 kilometers from the capital, killing more than 20 civilians, including women and children, and leaving dozens displaced amid ongoing bombardment of homes and residential areas.

According to the ministry, the airstrikes came after a group of Israeli soldiers “carrying out an invasion attempt inside a civilian Syrian community” was encircled by the residents, which reportedly prompted the Israeli military command to respond with heavy, deliberate shelling.

“After the failure of the invasion attempt, the occupying forces resorted to deliberate shelling of Beit Jinn, which constitutes an absolute war crime,” the ministry stated. “This resulted in a brutal massacre that killed more than 20 civilians, including women and children, and triggered a mass exodus of the population due to the ongoing barbaric and intentional strikes on civilian households.”

Damascus said the attack forms part of a pattern of repeated and escalatory Israeli violations in southern Syria, accusing Tel Aviv of exploiting the political transition that took place in December 2024.

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The Foreign Ministry urged the United Nations Security Council and the Arab League to intervene immediately to halt “recurring aggression” and to impose deterrent measures ensuring compliance with international law, the UN Charter, and Syria’s territorial sovereignty.

The ministry also reaffirmed Syria’s right to defend its land and population under international law. “These crimes only strengthen Syria's determination to firmly uphold its rights, its sovereignty, and its rejection of any form of occupation and aggression,” the statement said.

Details of the confrontations

At least six Israeli troops were injured during the overnight incursion into the Syrian village of Beit Jinn, in the Damascus countryside. Among those injured were three critically wounded in confrontations that broke out with locals, Israeli media outlets reported.

Reports indicate three Israeli soldiers were critically injured in the overnight raid, as Israeli occupation forces attempted to detain and abduct several individuals from Beit Jinn, whom they claim are affiliates of the Islamic Group. Elite troops from the 55th Paratroopers Brigade of the 98th Elite Division raided the town of Beit Jinn, which is located just a few hundred meters from the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) Zone.

During their attempt to detain some of the individuals, gunfire broke out from locals, forcing a hasty withdrawal. 

An Israeli Humvee vehicle used in the incursion was subsequently left behind. Then, according to Israeli reports, the Israeli Air Force raided the area and bombed the abandoned vehicle. Among the three seriously injured troops were two officers of the 55th Brigade.

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