Syrians March Nationwide After Israeli Troops Expand Control in South

Syrians took to the streets in Damascus, Homs, and Daraa on Friday to demand the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the country's southern provinces. The demonstrations followed a deadly strike in Daraa province that killed a man with a disability, an event state media said sparked widespread anger.

State media reported that crowds gathered in the capital and in central Homs to denounce recent military operations. In Daraa, an AFP correspondent observed hundreds of protesters waving national flags. Taysir al-Hariri, a protester at the rally, told the agency the group aimed to send a message to the world that Syria stands united against incursions that threaten national security.

Footage from state television showed marchers holding posters with the slogan "We are all Moaz." The name references the man with special needs who died from Israeli fire earlier in the week during an operation in Daraa. Outside a United Nations building in Damascus, the family of a man seized by Israeli forces also rallied, with children holding signs that read "I want my dad."

On the ground, Israeli forces advanced into parts of Quneitra province on Friday. State media reported that troops blocked several roads in the area. In the occupied zones, soldiers bulldozed olive groves, established new checkpoints, and detained local residents.

The escalation continues a pattern of military activity since Syria's new government took power in December 2024. The Israeli military has conducted hundreds of strikes and made frequent incursions into Syrian territory. It has also deployed troops into a UN-patrolled buffer zone on the Golan Heights, a region that has separated the two militaries since 1974.