IDF soldiers shot and killed a suspect whom they determined was attempting to infiltrate an Israeli military post in the southern Syria Security Zone on Sunday night, the military stated.
On Sunday evening, troops from the 2nd "Carmeli" Brigade, who were manning outposts in the Syrian buffer zone, spotted a suspect approaching the post between the villages of Hader and Kuneitra, according to Kan News's Itay Blumenthal.
At that point, Blumenthal said security forces initiated a suspect-arrest procedure. The suspect failed to comply with instructions and was seen climbing the embankment outside the post, at which point he was shot and killed.
According to Blumenthal, it is unclear whether the suspect was armed or not, or whether he was, in fact, trying to infiltrate the outpost. He added that additional troops were dispatched to the area to conduct searches.
Golan Regional Council Head Ori Kallner on Monday morning warned against allowing “the threat to reach the fence.”
"On the eve of Simchat Torah, three years after October 7, last night’s attempted infiltration of an IDF outpost in the buffer zone reminds us of one of the crucial lessons we have learned: we do not wait for the threat to reach the fence,” Kallner said.
"As someone who fought at Kfar Aza, we will not allow such a thing to happen again.”
He added that the IDF’s presence along the southern border in Syria allows Israel to protect its citizens “far away from the Golan’s communities and residents.”
“This is the security doctrine required for the border, and it is how we must continue to operate. We demand that all party leaders commit to maintaining this reality in the next government as well.”
Syria condemns Israel's 'violations' of its sovereignty
Syria on Sunday condemned Israel’s continued “violations” of Syrian territory, Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), Syria’s official news agency, reported.
It accused Israel of creating a new line of control inside Syria called the “Sufa 53 Line,” the report said.
Israel took over an area of Syrian territory on December 8, 2024, when the Assad regime fell.
The IDF has continued to operate in this area, which runs along part of the 1974 ceasefire line, essentially extending control into a buffer zone that had existed before.
Seth J. Frantzman contributed to this report.