QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The Israeli army has launched an internal investigation into a possible leak of sensitive operational information ahead of a major arrest and strike operation in the Syrian village of Beit Jinn, local media reported on Friday, amid rising cross-border tensions and Damascus urging the UN Security Council to intervene.
Israel’s Walla newspaper said the probe centers on whether details of the operation, planned for a week by Division 210, were exposed to hostile parties.
The operation was reportedly postponed because senior Israeli military officials were visiting the area at the time. Israeli Northern Command sources told the outlet that suspicious field developments during the mission have raised concerns about a breach.
The operation early Friday targeted two brothers from al-Jama’a al-Islamiyya (Islamic Group), whom Israel accuses of plotting attacks against IDF soldiers and the Druze community in southern Syria.
Israeli troops detained the two brothers after several weeks of surveillance, before coming under heavy fire. The IDF said its forces returned fire and received air support from helicopters, drones, and fighter jets striking “pre-planned targets.”
Six Israeli soldiers were wounded, three seriously. Syrian media reported at least 13 people killed in the Israeli strikes, while Israel said only that “several gunmen” were neutralized. Israeli forces also detained a Syrian man who ran toward them during the clashes.
Israel weighs broader action
Channel 13 reported that Israel is considering expanding operations deeper inside southern Syria if it confirms that Syrian government forces participated in firing on Israeli troops.
According to the channel, the IDF may shift away from ground arrest missions and instead intensify precision airstrikes to eliminate suspected cells.
Israel’s Kan network said intelligence assessments indicate that some individuals planning attacks on Israeli forces and the local Druze community are linked to Syrian government intelligence units, though it remains unclear whether their activities are directly ordered or sanctioned by Damascus.
Israel has maintained nine military positions inside southern Syria since the collapse of the Assad regime in December 2024, including outposts within the UN-patrolled buffer zone and two positions on the Syrian side of Mount Hermon.
Forces routinely operate up to 15 km inside Syrian territory to seize weapons Israel says could reach hostile groups.
Al-Jama’a al-Islamiyya, part of the broader Muslim Brotherhood network, has cooperated with Hezbollah and Hamas in past attacks from Lebanon and Syria, according to the IDF.
Syria condemns strikes, appeals to UN
Syria denounced the Israeli operation as a “war crime.”
Ibrahim Olabi, Syria’s permanent representative to the UN, said on Friday that Damascus will pursue a diplomatic and legal response.
“Our top priority is protecting the Syrian people. Direct military retaliation is not our option; we will respond diplomatically and legally in international forums,” he told Al-Arabiya.
Olabi said the Syrian government will formally register the incident with the UN, adding that “15 Security Council members have already condemned Israel’s aggression.”
He reaffirmed Damascus’ commitment to the 1974 Disengagement Agreement, saying this “bothers Israel more than the idea of a military response.”
He called on the UN Security Council to take “urgent, deterrent measures” to ensure respect for Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.