Syrians rally in Damascus against escalating Israeli attacks in Daraa

ANKARA

Damascus on Friday witnessed a protest rally condemning the Israeli attacks on the town of Koya in Daraa province, southern Syria.

The rally was organized at the Umayyad Square, where participants carried banners in Arabic and English denouncing the Israeli aggression and affirming that Syrian blood is not cheap.

Speaking to Anadolu, Dima Mousa, a rally participant, condemned the Israeli attacks on Syria, which have intensified in recent months.

She called on the international community to take urgent action against the Israeli occupation. "It's clear that the current reactions are insufficient, and Israel will continue to occupy more lands in neighboring countries and spread chaos in the region."

On Tuesday, at least seven people were killed and several others injured in an Israeli incursion and shelling in Koya.

After the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime, Israel expanded its occupation of the Syrian Golan Heights by seizing the demilitarized buffer zone, a move that violated the 1974 disengagement agreement with Syria.

Israel also launched hundreds of airstrikes that targeted military sites and assets across Syria, including fighter jets, missile systems, and air defense installations, according to reports.

Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia after anti-regime groups took control of Damascus on Dec. 8, ending the Baath Party regime, which had been in power since 1963.

Ahmed al-Sharaa, who led anti-regime forces to oust Assad, was declared president for a transitional period in late January.