Israeli forces kill disabled civilian in Jamla, Daraa province

State news agency SANA said the victim was a civilian with special needs; the Israeli military described the incident as a suspect apprehension.

By Felo News Desk · Published Thu, 22 Oct 2026 19:20:24 GMT

Israeli forces shot dead a civilian with a disability during an overnight raid in the village of Jamla, in Syria’s western Daraa countryside, on Thursday, according to the Syrian state news agency SANA and local residents.

What happened

SANA reported that the man was killed early on Thursday when Israeli troops, positioned on rooftops with snipers, opened fire in Jamla. The victim’s body was taken to Deraa National Hospital. The Israeli military issued a statement saying soldiers had identified a suspect approaching them and, after the suspect continued to approach, fired to remove the threat. The statement said the incident is under review.

What the reports add

Al Jazeera noted that the victim was described simply as a “civilian with a disability” and placed the raid in the context of a series of Israeli operations in southern Syria, including recent incursions in Quneitra province. The Independent identified the victim by name, Muath Salama al‑Baeer, and specified that he had Down syndrome, describing him as a “developmentally disabled man.” Both outlets said the Israeli military did not immediately comment beyond the suspect‑apprehension statement.

What was said

Al Jazeera quoted SANA’s report that the civilian was shot dead and noted that Syrian President Ahmed al‑Sharaa has condemned Israel’s “aggressions.” The Independent reproduced the Israeli military’s statement that soldiers “identified a suspect approaching them and carried out a suspect apprehension procedure” and that they fired because the suspect “continued to approach the soldiers.”

How it came about

Since the ouster of former Syrian President Bashar Assad in December 2024, Israeli forces have conducted hundreds of strikes and occasional ground raids in southern Syria, often moving beyond the UN‑patrolled buffer zone that Israel seized after the 2024 offensive. The raid in Jamla follows recent Israeli operations that have destroyed olive groves in Quneitra and involved sniper deployments in Daraa’s countryside. Earlier Felo coverage of Israeli actions in the region includes reports on settler‑related violence in the West Bank (settlers-set-fire-mosque-west-bank) and broader Israeli incursions into Syrian territory.

Key facts

A civilian with a disability was killed by Israeli forces in Jamla, Daraa province. (aljazeera.com)
The Israeli military said soldiers fired after a suspect continued to approach them. (independent.co.uk)
The victim was identified as Muath Salama al‑Baeer, who had Down syndrome. (independent.co.uk)
The victim’s body was taken to Deraa National Hospital. (aljazeera.com)

Where accounts differ

Description of the victim’s disability: civilian with a disability (aljazeera.com); developmentally disabled man with Down syndrome (independent.co.uk)