Israeli forces opened fire indiscriminately while withdrawing from the town of Abdeen in southern Syria following an incursion that lasted several hours.
Syrian state broadcaster Al-Ikhbaria reported on Wednesday that the forces withdrew from the town in western Daraa province early in the morning. It provided no information on casualties or further details of their movements inside the town.
The incident comes amid repeated Israeli incursions into southern Syria, where a UN commission has warned that Israeli military activity is becoming increasingly persistent and entrenched.
In a briefing to the UN Human Rights Council on September 8, the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria cited ground incursions, patrols, raids and repeated searches.
It said temporary checkpoints and permanent military installations on Syrian territory had significantly affected civilians.
‘Unacceptable’
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has also condemned violations of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity as “unacceptable”.
Speaking at a news conference in Damascus on July 26, he called on Israel to comply with the 1974 Agreement on Disengagement of Forces.
Following the fall of Bashar al Assad’s regime on December 8 2024, Israel expanded its occupation of Syrian territory, taking control of the so called “buffer zone and positions” on the Syrian side of Mount Hermon after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed the disengagement agreement had collapsed.
