Israeli Media: Army Considers Shift Toward Targeted Killings in Syria

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Israeli media outlets reported Friday that the Israeli army is weighing a strategic shift in its operations inside Syria, moving away from ground arrest missions and toward increased reliance on targeted airstrikes. The discussions follow a major pre-dawn raid in the southern Syrian village of Beit Jinn that triggered heavy clashes, significant civilian casualties, and injuries among Israeli soldiers.

Channel 13, citing informed sources, reported that Israel is considering “reducing arrest operations and relying more heavily on targeted assassinations via airstrikes” to limit risks to its ground forces.
Sources warned that “the longer ground operations and arrest attempts continue inside Syrian territory, the higher the likelihood of attacks and harm to Israeli soldiers.”

According to Israel’s Kan 11, some of the individuals who opened fire on Israeli forces during the operation were allegedly working for the Syrian General Intelligence Directorate. The outlet accused Syrian government security branches of involvement in attacks targeting Israeli forces.

Channel 13 added that Israel is evaluating “the Syrian government’s response if evidence emerges confirming the involvement of Syrian General Intelligence personnel in Friday’s clashes.”

Israel’s Army Radio reported that the cell in Beit Jinn included roughly 15 individuals linked to Hamas and al-Rabita al-Islamiyya, who were allegedly planning attacks against Israel.

In a statement to Kurdistan24, Rami Abdulrahman said:

“In the largest operation… the number of victims of the Israeli bombing has risen to 15, including 4 children and women.”

According to information provided by Abdulrahman about the casualties and ground developments in Beit Jinn: 

-35 Syrians were killed or injured during the clashes and Israeli airstrikes.
-15 were confirmed killed, including 7 civilians—among them 4 women and children.
-20 others were wounded, with several in critical condition.
-Additional individuals remain missing under the rubble, while others were detained by Israeli forces.

The Israeli army acknowledged that six of its soldiers were injured during the operation.
Heavy clashes erupted at dawn Friday in Beit Jinn — described as the largest military engagement since the fall of the previous Syrian regime — between local residents and Israeli forces attempting to enter the town to carry out arrests. The confrontations were accompanied by artillery and airstrikes, and one home reportedly collapsed due to Israeli bombardment.

Israeli forces later allowed Syrian ambulances and rescue teams to enter the area to evacuate the dead and wounded. Rescue vehicles were searched upon entering and again after leaving toward Damascus.

According to field information, an Israeli patrol came under fire from a distance of roughly 200 meters after detaining several young men, resulting in injuries to six Israeli reservists.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) previously documented an “unprecedented Israeli escalation” at dawn, with two Israeli military patrols entering the outskirts of Beit Jinn and launching an arrest campaign before clashes broke out with local fighters who attempted to repel them.

On Friday, an Israeli raid on Beit Jinn began shortly before 3 a.m., led by the 55th Reserve Paratroopers Brigade. The mission aimed to arrest two brothers affiliated with al-Jama’a al-Islamiyya, whom Israeli intelligence accused of preparing attacks on Israel and of previously launching rockets across the border.

The IDF said the brothers were detained in their beds without resistance. But as Israeli forces withdrew from the town — located around seven kilometers east of the Israeli border — they came under fire from unidentified gunmen. Israeli troops returned fire and requested helicopter and drone support, while fighter jets struck predetermined targets.

Israeli assessments, referenced in the military briefing, indicate that Israel has been preparing for potential attacks originating from Syrian territory, whether from Syrian state-affiliated forces or independent armed groups.

The reported considerations inside the Israeli military reflect growing concern over the risks associated with ground incursions in Syria, particularly in areas with active armed groups and alleged involvement of Syrian intelligence services. The Beit Jinn operation, which resulted in civilian deaths and injuries on both sides, appears to have intensified debates in the Israeli security establishment about future strategy.

As investigations continue into the Beit Jinn clashes — including allegations of Syrian intelligence participation — Israeli military officials are reportedly reassessing the balance between ground arrest missions and precision airstrikes. The deadly consequences of Friday’s raid underscore the escalating volatility along the Syrian-Israeli front and the likelihood of further confrontations in the coming period.