Syrian Protests Test Market Stability as Israeli Troops Expand Southern Control

Protests swept across Syria on Friday as demonstrators demanded a response to repeated military operations in the south. The unrest follows an incursion in Daraa province that killed Moaz, a man with a disability, according to Syrian state accounts.

State media confirmed gatherings in the capital, Damascus, and the central city of Homs. In Daraa, an AFP correspondent observed hundreds of participants waving national flags. Taysir al-Hariri, a local protester, told the agency that the crowds aimed to signal that Syria stands united against actions that threaten national security.

Footage from state television showed marchers holding posters with the slogan "We are all Moaz". Outside a United Nations building in Damascus, the family of a Syrian man detained by Israeli forces held signs reading "I want my dad" to demand his release.

In Quneitra province, Israeli forces advanced into specific areas and blocked several roads. Military units bulldozed olive groves, established checkpoints, and detained residents in the vicinity. These actions occurred as part of a wider push to maintain a security zone in the south.

The Israeli military has conducted hundreds of strikes and frequent incursions since the government change in December 2024. Forces also entered the UN-patrolled buffer zone on the Golan Heights, which had separated the two sides since 1974. Israel has stated it will keep troops in the southern region to create a demilitarized area.

The combination of road closures, agricultural destruction, and ongoing detainments adds pressure to the southern economy. The protests in Damascus and Homs indicate that the conflict extends beyond the immediate border regions, influencing public sentiment across the country.