Israeli Strike in Syria Kills Two Hezbollah Operatives

A recent Israeli strike in the Syrian-controlled Golan Heights on Thursday killed two individuals associated with Hezbollah, according to a war monitor. Syria’s state news agency, SANA, confirmed that “two citizens were martyred in an Israeli drone attack” targeting a civilian vehicle along the Damascus-Quneitra road in Quneitra province.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights stated that one of the victims was an operative working with Hezbollah, responsible for recruiting Syrians and transporting weapons. His assistant was also killed. A local security source reported that two charred bodies were recovered from the vehicle. The Israeli military has not yet commented on the incident.

Israel seized a large portion of the Golan Heights from Syria in 1967 and later annexed it, although this move has not been widely recognized internationally.

This attack follows recent Israeli airstrikes in Syria’s Hama province, which, according to Syrian authorities, killed 18 people. The Observatory reported a higher toll of 27 deaths, including six civilians, and stated that the strikes targeted a scientific research facility and other locations in the Masyaf area. Israel has not commented on these strikes either.

Hezbollah has repeatedly attacked Israeli military positions in the Golan Heights in recent months, as part of its support for Hamas following the Palestinian group’s October 7 assault on Israel, which escalated into the ongoing Gaza conflict.

Although Syria has attempted to avoid direct involvement in the Israel-Hamas war, Hezbollah-aligned fighters have launched limited rocket attacks from Syria into Israeli-controlled Golan Heights since October.

Since the Syrian civil war began in 2011, Israel has conducted numerous airstrikes in Syria, primarily targeting the Syrian army and Iranian-backed forces, including Hezbollah. While Israeli authorities rarely address specific strikes, they have consistently stated that they will not allow Iran to strengthen its foothold in Syria.

The frequency of Israeli strikes in Syria increased following Hamas’ October 7 attack but decreased after a strike on April 1, which was blamed on Israel and targeted the Iranian consular building in Damascus. That incident prompted Iran’s first direct military retaliation against Israel.