Hundreds march in Syria after Moaz killed in Israeli strike

Protests erupted across Syria on Friday following the death of a man with a disability in an Israeli military operation. Demonstrations took place in the capital, Damascus, and in the central city of Homs. Crowds gathered to condemn recent Israeli incursions into the southern provinces of Quneitra and Daraa.

An AFP correspondent in Daraa observed hundreds of attendees at one such rally. Some protesters waved Syrian flags. Taysir al-Hariri, a protester in the crowd, stated that the group aimed to "send a message to the world" regarding national unity. He said the country stands "against Israeli incursions and against anyone who is tempted to tamper. with national security".

State television footage showed marchers carrying posters with the slogan "We are all Moaz." The name refers to the man with special needs who Syria says was killed by Israeli fire a day earlier. The incident occurred during an incursion in Daraa province.

Outside a United Nations building in Damascus, the family of a Syrian man currently seized by Israel demanded his release. Children in the group held up posters that read "I want my dad."

State media reported that Israeli forces advanced into part of Quneitra province on Friday. They blocked several roads in the area. Israeli troops have bulldozed olive groves, set up checkpoints, and detained residents in the region.

The Israeli military has conducted hundreds of strikes in Syria since the new government took power in December 2024. Israel has also entered the UN-patrolled buffer zone near the Golan Heights. The military vowed to keep troops in a "security zone" in southern Syria while seeking a demilitarised area.