Egypt Daily News – Israeli forces continue their incursion into the western countryside of Daraa, southern Syria, with reports of clashes with locals and calls for “jihad” from mosques, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. This comes after intense airstrikes targeting the Hama and T4 military airports, which led to the former being rendered inoperable and resulted in the deaths of at least 15 Syrian Ministry of Defense personnel.
Activists reported widespread public mobilization following the airstrikes and Israeli incursion, with mosque calls urging citizens to take up arms and confront the invading forces. On Thursday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Katz warned Syrian President Ahmad al-Shar’—addressing him by his pseudonym “Abu Muhammad al-Jolani”—that Syria would pay a “heavy price” if it allowed hostile forces to enter its territory.
In a statement, Katz emphasized that Israeli forces would remain stationed in Syria’s buffer zones and would act firmly against any threats to Israel’s security. He added that the recent airstrikes on Hama and Damascus were “a clear message and warning for the future,” stressing that Israel would not allow any harm to its security.
In a related development, the Israeli military announced on Thursday morning that it had conducted a nighttime operation in the Tsil area in southern Syria, where it claimed to have “eliminated several militants” and “seized weaponry and destroyed terrorist infrastructure.”
Earlier, Daraa’s provincial authorities reported on Telegram that the Israeli shelling of the al-Jubailiya forest between the towns of Nawa and Tsil in western Daraa resulted in the deaths of nine civilians and injuries to others, according to initial reports.
The province also noted significant public anger, especially as this is the first time Israeli forces have advanced so deep into the area. The Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates condemned the “latest wave of Israeli aggression,” calling it a “flagrant violation of international law and the sovereignty of the Syrian Arab Republic,” and accusing Israel of attempting to destabilize the country and prolong the suffering of its people.
Concerns over Turkish Presence in Syria
Recently, there has been an escalation in Israeli rhetoric regarding Turkey’s presence in Syria, describing it as a “threat to Tel Aviv’s security.”
In this context, the Jerusalem Post published a recent report claiming that the breach of Israeli airspace by a Turkish drone is no longer a hypothetical scenario, but a “real threat” expected by 2025. The report highlighted an unprecedented statement made by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on March 30, in which he explicitly called for the “destruction of Zionist Israel,” suggesting that a direct military confrontation is inevitable. The report emphasized that Turkey is already firmly positioned near Israel’s borders and is unlikely to leave voluntarily.
Earlier, Reuters cited sources revealing that Israel had conducted intensive diplomatic efforts to persuade the U.S. to maintain Syria in a state of weakness and fragmentation, while ensuring that Russia retains its military bases there, in an attempt to curb Turkey’s growing influence in the region.
Israeli radio had previously reported that “Tel Aviv is concerned about Turkish control of the T4 airport,” primarily due to the possibility that it could be used to deploy drones and possibly air defense systems that might restrict Israeli operations in Syrian airspace.
The Israeli page “Jay Bashour” claimed that “Turkey is deploying S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems in Syria, along with long-range drones,” saying that its goal is to deter Israel. It also hinted that “the Sunni threat is now more dangerous than the Shiite threat.”
Later, Israeli media reported that the Israeli airstrikes killed three Turkish engineers in the attacks on the T4 airport.
An expanded security meeting is expected to take place in Tel Aviv today to discuss the “Turkish presence in Syria,” according to Maariv newspaper. The meeting will include Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Katz and new Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu absent due to his visit to Hungary.
