IDF fighting terrorists in Syria attack
Body-cam video shows a face-off between Israeli forces and terrorists in the Beit Jann raid as IDF soldiers capture the terrorist suspect. (Video: IDF spokesperson’s unit.)
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The IDF on Friday released body-camera footage from a rare hand-on gun battle in southern Syria, where soldiers from the 55th Brigade were fired upon while arresting members of al-Jama’a al-Islamiyya, a Sunni militant group Israel identifies as part of the broader Muslim Brotherhood network.
The cross-border gun battle comes amid moves by the Trump administration to target Brotherhood associates and heightened tensions between Netanyahu and Syria’s interim president.
The overnight operation took place under the 210th Division in the Beit Jann area, about 10 kilometers inside Syria. According to the IDF, troops entered the area to detain suspects involved in planting IEDs and planning future attacks against Israel, including possible rocket attacks. Two suspects were arrested before the shooting began.
Six IDF soldiers were injured, three of whom were in serious condition. Several militants were killed, the IDF said, and the suspects were transferred to Israel for questioning.
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IDF soldiers move through the Beit Jann area in southern Syria during an overnight operation to capture members of the Muslim Brotherhood-linked terrorist group al-Jama’a al-Islamiyya. (IDF) (IDF)
Al-Jama’a al-Islamiyya, founded as the Lebanese branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, has collaborated with Hamas and Hezbollah to maintain infrastructure in southern Lebanon and on the Syria-Lebanon border. The IDF says it has repeatedly attacked the organization’s targets in Syria and Lebanon during the current war.
Channel 12 political correspondent Amit Segal reported Friday that the incident marked the first time since December 2024 – when Israeli forces took control of the Syrian side of Mount Hermon – that Israeli soldiers were injured by Syrian shelling.
Segal wrote: “Could Syria become the IDF’s new Lebanon? …With six soldiers wounded overnight, the big question is whether this is a one-time incident, or whether it signals the beginning of a long, intractable Israeli presence in Syria.”
Tensions have risen between Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Shaara and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu since Shaara’s unprecedented visit to Washington earlier this month. Shaara met with President Donald Trump at the White House to discuss sanctions relief and counterterrorism coordination, making him the first Syrian leader to visit Washington since the start of the Syrian war.
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Israeli forces secured the area around Beit Jannah after detaining two suspects and coming under fire in one of the most serious clashes on the Syrian front this year. (IDF)
Netanyahu publicly criticized the visit the same day, saying that Shaara “has returned with a sense of international legitimacy,” and warned that any US-Syria discussion “should not be at the expense of Israel.”
Additional reporting in the Jerusalem Post and Channel 12 said security arrangements affecting Israel’s northern front were widely discussed between US and Syrian officials, although no agreement was reached and Washington insisted that consultations with Israel continue.
Friday’s clash came the same week the Trump administration launched a sweeping effort to designate Muslim Brotherhood affiliates as terrorist organizations. The White House directive directs federal agencies to evaluate and approve Brotherhood entities in countries including Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon, citing global financial, political and operational ties between the affiliates.
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IDF armored vehicles perform maneuvers in the Beit Jann area of southern Syria during an overnight counter-terrorism operation against al-Jama’a al-Islamiyya. (IDF)
The White House statement said the Brotherhood “promotes terrorism and destabilization campaigns against US interests and allies.”
Sen ted cruzThe Republican, R-Texas, praised the move on his podcast The Verdict, telling co-host Ben Ferguson that the designation marks the culmination of a decade of legislative efforts. “This is literally 10 years of hard work, and it will make America safer because the Muslim Brotherhood is funding terrorists who want to assassinate you and assassinate me,” Cruz said.
He noted that several US allies in the Middle East – including Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE – have already outlawed the organisation, telling the audience: “They really want the United States to do what President Trump did this week.”
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As Washington steps up pressure on Brotherhood-linked movements, Israel is increasingly confronting Brotherhood-linked armed groups in the northern region – from Hamas in Gaza to al-Jama’a al-Islamiyya in Syria and Lebanon.
With Beit Jann emerging as a focal point of cross-border operations and US policy tightening, analysts say the regional conflict involving Brotherhood-linked groups could enter a new phase.
