Syria says ‘Israeli’ tank fire kills man in country's south

Syrian state media reported that a man was killed by ‘Israeli’ fire in Quneitra province near the occupied Golan Heights in southern Syria, as the Syrian Foreign Ministry condemned the “crime” that resulted in the death of a civilian.

The state news agency SANA said a “young Syrian man was killed after being targeted by an Israeli tank,” while Syrian state television reported the “martyrdom of a young man after Israeli occupation forces targeted a civilian vehicle with a tank shell.”

The Syrian Foreign Ministry issued a statement condemning “in the strongest terms the crime committed by Israeli occupation forces in targeting a civilian car with a tank shell.”

It described the attack, which killed a civilian, as a “blatant violation of international humanitarian law,” calling on the international community to take immediate action “to stop these repeated violations.”

Following the overthrow of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, ‘Israel’ deployed forces in a buffer zone monitored by the United Nations that separates ‘Israeli’ and Syrian forces in the Golan under the 1974 Disengagement Agreement.

Since then, ‘Israel’ has carried out repeated incursions into Syrian territory alongside airstrikes, stating its aim to establish a demilitarized zone in southern Syria.

SANA had earlier reported that ‘Israeli’ forces in Quneitra province “closed roads leading to newly established military positions in the area,” restricting the movement of residents and farmers.

It added that several ‘Israeli’ vehicles set up a temporary checkpoint in one of the villages, where passersby were searched.

Last month, the ‘Israeli’ army said it launched strikes on Syrian army camps in response to what it described as attacks targeting the Druze community in Sweida province in southern Syria.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry described this as “aggression … a clear extension of the escalation policy pursued by the Israeli occupation.”

The ‘Israeli’ strikes come amid ongoing war in the Middle East following the United States and ‘Israel’s’ attack on Iran on February 28.

‘Israel’ occupied most of the Syrian Golan Heights during the 1967 war and later annexed the territory it controls in a move not recognized by most of the international community.

Despite tensions, ‘Israel’ and the new Syrian authorities have held several rounds of direct talks and agreed to establish a mechanism for exchanging intelligence as part of efforts to reach a security agreement.