Rockets from Syria hit Israel-occupied Golan Heights

The two projectiles have fallen on the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights over open terrain, according to the Israeli military.

Rocket alarms were sounded in two localities on Tuesday. Reports of injuries were initially not available.

The Israeli armed forces responded with artillery fire at the origin of the attack, according to their own statements. A local militia in the southern province of Daraa claimed responsibility for the rocket attack.

The Israeli shells, in turn, hit agricultural areas without causing harm to people, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, based in London.

This was the first rocket attack from Syria to hit Israel or Israeli-controlled territory since May 2024, the Times of Israel wrote.

At the same time, it was the first attack of this kind from Syria since the overthrow of Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad in December.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz says he hold Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa responsible.

“We consider the president of Syria directly responsible for any threat and fire toward the State of Israel, and a full response will come soon,” Katz said.

Syria and Israel have recently engaged in direct talks to ease tensions, a significant development in relations between states that have been on opposite sides of conflict in the Middle East for decades.

The Syrian foreign ministry said in a statement that reports of the launches towards the Israeli side “have not been verified yet”, reiterating that Syria has not and will not pose a threat to any party in the region, the state news agency SANA reported.

However, it was not immediately clear who was responsible for the projectiles.

“We believe that there are many parties that may seek to destabilise the region to achieve their own interests,” the ministry added.

Local residents said Israeli mortars were striking the Wadi Yarmouk area, west of Daraa province, near the border with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

The area has witnessed increased tensions in recent weeks, including reported Israeli military incursions into nearby villages, where residents have reportedly been barred from sowing their crops.

Israel has waged a campaign of aerial bombardment that destroyed much of the country’s military infrastructure that intensified under the new leadership.

It also has occupied the Syrian Golan Heights since the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and taken more territory in the aftermath of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s ouster in December, citing lingering concerns over the extremist past of the country’s new rulers.

with dpa