Israeli strikes killed at least four people in southern Syria on Tuesday, according to state media and official sources, as Israel continued attacks on the country’s new authorities while engaging in talks.
An official from Syria’s defence ministry said an Israeli drone struck a military facility belonging to the army’s 44th division in Kiswah, west of Damascus, killing three soldiers. Earlier, the state news agency SANA reported that a young man had died when an Israeli strike hit a house in Taranja, a village near the Golan Heights.
Syria’s foreign ministry condemned the assaults, accusing Israel of carrying out incursions into Quneitra towns, arresting civilians, and maintaining its presence on Mount Hermon and the buffer zone. It described the actions as a violation of international law and a direct threat to regional peace.
Israel has conducted hundreds of strikes in Syria since an Islamist-led alliance toppled Bashar al-Assad in December. Despite the military campaign, Israel has opened talks with the interim government in Damascus. Last week, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani met Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer in Paris to discuss restoring the 1974 disengagement arrangements.
Regional powers also criticised Israel’s actions. Saudi Arabia labelled the strikes a “flagrant violation” of Syrian sovereignty, while Qatar urged the international community to take decisive measures against Israeli aggression.
The Israeli military stated on Sunday that it had carried out several operations in southern Syria to seize weapons and detain suspects.