Israel’s military released body-camera footage of a gun battle in Syria that resulted in injuries to six soldiers during an operation targeting members of the al-Jama’a al-Islamiyya terrorist group.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released body-camera footage on Friday from a rare confrontation in southern Syria, where troops from the 55th Brigade engaged in a gun battle while attempting to arrest members of al-Jama’a al-Islamiyya, a Sunni terrorist organization linked to the broader Muslim Brotherhood network. This cross-border incident coincides with heightened tensions between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Syria’s interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, as the Trump administration intensifies its focus on targeting affiliates of the Brotherhood.
The overnight operation occurred in the Beit Jann area, located approximately 10 kilometers inside Syrian territory, under the command of the 210th Division. According to the IDF, troops entered the region to detain suspects involved in planting improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and planning future attacks against Israel, including potential rocket fire. During the operation, two suspects were arrested before an exchange of gunfire erupted.
Six IDF soldiers sustained injuries in the clash, with three reported to be in serious condition. The IDF confirmed that several terrorists were killed during the encounter, and the arrested suspects were subsequently transferred to Israel for interrogation.
Al-Jama’a al-Islamiyya, which originated as the Lebanese branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, has collaborated with Hamas and Hezbollah, maintaining operational infrastructure in southern Lebanon and along the Syria-Lebanon border. The IDF has targeted the organization’s sites in both Syria and Lebanon multiple times during the ongoing conflict.
Political correspondent Amit Segal of Channel 12 noted that this incident marks the first time since December 2024, when Israeli forces took control of the Syrian side of Mount Hermon, that Israeli troops have been wounded in a firefight within Syria. Segal posed a critical question regarding the implications of this incident: “Could Syria become the IDF’s new Lebanon? With six soldiers wounded overnight, the big question is whether this is a one-off event, or if it signals the beginning of a long, uncomfortable Israeli presence in Syria.”
The tensions between Netanyahu and al-Sharaa have escalated following the latter’s unprecedented visit to Washington earlier this month. Al-Sharaa met with President Donald Trump at the White House to discuss sanctions relief and counterterrorism coordination, marking the first visit by a Syrian leader to Washington since the onset of the Syrian war. Netanyahu publicly criticized the visit, asserting that al-Sharaa “returned inflated with a sense of international legitimacy,” and cautioned that any discussions between the U.S. and Syria should not come at Israel’s expense.
Additional reports from the Jerusalem Post and Channel 12 indicated that security arrangements concerning Israel’s northern front were discussed in broad terms between U.S. and Syrian officials, although no formal agreements were reached. Washington emphasized that consultations with Israel were ongoing.
This clash occurred during a week in which the Trump administration launched a comprehensive initiative to designate Muslim Brotherhood affiliates as terrorist organizations. The White House directive instructs federal agencies to evaluate and impose sanctions on Brotherhood entities in various countries, including Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon, citing their global financial, political, and operational connections.
The White House statement described the Brotherhood as an organization that “fuels terrorism and destabilization campaigns against U.S. interests and allies.” Senator Ted Cruz, R-Texas, praised the administration’s actions during his podcast, stating that the designation represents the culmination of a decade of legislative efforts. Cruz remarked, “This is literally 10 years of hard work, and it will make America safer because the Muslim Brotherhood is funding terrorists that want to murder you and want to murder me.”
He highlighted that many U.S. allies in the Middle East, including Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the UAE, have already outlawed the organization, expressing that these nations desire the United States to take similar actions.
As the U.S. ramps up pressure on movements linked to the Brotherhood, Israel finds itself increasingly confronting armed groups associated with the organization across its northern borders—from Hamas in Gaza to al-Jama’a al-Islamiyya in Syria and Lebanon. With Beit Jann emerging as a focal point for cross-border operations and American policy tightening, analysts suggest that regional confrontations involving Brotherhood-connected groups may be entering a new phase.
Source: Original article