A source at the Syrian Interior Ministry denied Israeli claims that its forces had arrested Palestinian Hamas members during a raid on the southern village of Beit Jin in the early hours of Thursday.
The source told Asharq Al-Awsat that the detainees were civilians and not affiliated with any party.
Saleh Daher, a resident of Beit Jin, told Asharq Al-Awsat the Israeli soldiers entered the village at 2:40 am on Thursday.
“We were awakened by the sound of gunfire,” he revealed. A unit of dozens of soldiers were raiding the village, while ten tanks were stationed at its entrance.
The forces surrounded the houses of the people they wanted to arrest, calling out their names on loudspeakers. They detained seven people, continued Daher.
One person, who is known in the village for having a mental disability, attempted to stop the soldiers, who shot and killed him, he said.
The soldiers left at 4:15 am after detaining the people they were after.
Daher said they were all Syrian natives of the village and used to be members of armed opposition groups that rose up against the Bashar al-Assad's ousted regime.
Sources revealed to Asharq Al-Awsat the names of the detainees: Amer al-Badawi, Mamoun al-Saadi, Ahmed al-Safadi, Mohammed al-Safadi, Hassan al-Safadi, Mohammed Badi Hamadeh and Ali Qassem Hamadeh.
Daher said he and his family had returned to Beit Jin in 2018 and that they never noticed any behavior by the detainees that they were working against Israel.
Israel had previously assassinated three residents of the village. They too were members of armed factions.
Moreover, Daher said he hasn’t noticed any activity by residents that indicate that they are members of or associated with Palestinian factions.
The Israeli army said it detained Hamas members during the Beit Jin raid and that they were planning attacks against it.
They have been taken to Israel for investigation. The army also said it discovered weapons in the area.
Syrian media confirmed the arrest of seven people and death of one person during the raid.
Since the fall of Assad’s government in early December, Israeli forces have moved into several areas in southern Syria and conducted hundreds of airstrikes throughout the country, destroying much of the assets of the Syrian army.
Tensions ticked up in early June after projectiles were fired from Syria towards Israel. Israel retaliated with its first strikes in nearly a month.
On June 8, Israel carried out a strike on the outskirts of Beit Jin on what it described as a Hamas member.
A resident of the village denied the claim, saying Israel targeted a youth called Anas Abboud and that he was a former member of a Syrian opposition armed group.
