Syrian Protests Erupt After Troops Kill Disabled Man in Daraa
Rallies in Damascus and Homs follow the death of Moaz, while Israeli forces continue to advance into Quneitra province.
By Thabo Mokoena ·
Syrians took to the streets on Friday to mark the death of a disabled man killed by Israeli fire earlier in the week. The rallies, which spanned the capital and central regions, focused on the ongoing military presence in the south.
State media confirmed crowds gathered in Damascus and Homs to denounce attacks in the Quneitra and Daraa provinces. In Daraa, an AFP correspondent observed hundreds of demonstrators waving national flags. Taysir al-Hariri, a protester at the scene, told the agency that the crowd aimed to show the world that Syria stands united against incursions and threats to national security.
Footage from state television showed marchers holding posters with the slogan "We are all Moaz." The name refers to the man with special needs whom Syrian officials said was killed a day earlier during an operation in Daraa province. Outside a United Nations building in the capital, the family of another Syrian man seized by Israeli forces held up signs reading "I want my dad" to demand his release.
The protests coincided with a continued military advance in the south. State media reported on Friday that Israeli forces moved into part of Quneitra province, where they blocked several roads. In that area, troops have bulldozed olive groves, installed checkpoints, and detained local residents.
Since the new government took power in December 2024, Israel has conducted hundreds of strikes in Syria. The country also entered the UN-patrolled buffer zone on the Golan Heights, a boundary that had separated forces since 1974. Israeli authorities have vowed to maintain troops in a security zone in southern Syria, seeking a larger demilitarized area.
Source: Middle East Eye
