Israeli Airstrikes Kill Two in Syria, Prompt Condemnation, Calls for Action

Israeli airstrikes on Monday evening targeted areas south of Damascus, killing two people and injuring five, according to a human rights monitor, Al Jazeera reports.

The Syrian government condemned the attacks as “criminal” and called on the United Nations to hold Israel accountable.

The Syrian state-run news agency SANA reported that the strikes, carried out by Israeli warplanes, hit “a number of civilian sites” around 5:18pm local time (14:18 GMT). The military source cited by SANA stated that the attacks originated from the occupied Syrian Golan Heights.

According to reports, the airstrikes targeted the Sayyidah Zaynab area, located about 10 kilometers south of Damascus. The area is a Hezbollah stronghold and home to an important Shia shrine.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a UK-based monitor, reported that two members of Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement were killed and five others seriously injured in the strikes. The SOHR added that the attacks hit a farm in the area, where displaced people from Lebanon were staying.

The Israeli Air Force, in a rare admission, claimed responsibility for the strikes early Tuesday morning, stating that they targeted “Hezbollah’s intelligence headquarters” in Syria. The air force said the strikes were part of a broader effort to damage Hezbollah’s intelligence capabilities.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry issued a statement condemning the attacks and urging the UN to take swift action to halt “Israeli aggression.”

“Syria calls on member states of the United Nations to take urgent action and firm measures to stop the Israeli aggression and hold its perpetrators accountable for their crimes,” the ministry said.

This latest incident marks an escalation of tensions between Israel and Syria, following a series of airstrikes conducted by Israel on Syrian targets in recent years. The strikes have intensified since the October 7 attack on southern Israel by Hamas fighters.