Syrians March Across the Country After Moaz's Death in Daraa

Protesters took to the streets across Syria on Friday.

State media reported that crowds gathered in the capital, Damascus, and in Homs. They denounced Israeli military actions in the southern provinces of Quneitra and Daraa.

In Daraa, an AFP correspondent observed hundreds of demonstrators, some waving Syrian flags. Taysir al-Hariri, one of the protesters, told the agency that the rally aimed to send a message to the world. He stated that Syria stands united against Israeli incursions and against anyone tempted to tamper with national security.

Footage from state television showed marchers carrying posters with the slogan 'We are all Moaz.' The name refers to a man with special needs whom Syrian officials say was killed by Israeli fire earlier this week during an incursion in Daraa province.

Outside a United Nations building in Damascus, the family of a Syrian man seized by Israel called for his release. Children held posters that read 'I want my dad.'

Israeli forces advanced into part of Quneitra province on Friday, according to state media. Troops blocked several roads, bulldozed olive groves, set up checkpoints, and detained residents in the area.

Since the new government took power in December 2024 after toppling Bashar al-Assad, the Israeli military has carried out hundreds of strikes in Syria. Israeli troops have also entered a UN-patrolled buffer zone on the Golan Heights. Israel has vowed to keep troops in a security zone in southern Syria while seeking a larger demilitarised area.