Live Update arrow right icon From the Liveblog of Sunday, December 8, 2024

Israel warns residents of Syrian border villages to ‘stay home’ as IDF pushes into buffer zone

By Emanuel Fabian 8 December 2024, 5:13 pm 2 Edit

Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent

An Israeli soldier takes a position in the Golan Heights, near the border with Syria, on December 8, 2024. (Michael Giladi/Flash90)
An Israeli soldier takes a position in the Golan Heights, near the border with Syria, on December 8, 2024. (Michael Giladi/Flash90)

The IDF issues an “urgent warning” to residents of several southern Syrian villages close to the Israeli border, as troops push into a buffer zone between Israel and Syria.

“The fighting in your area is forcing the IDF to act and we do not intend to harm you,” Col. Avichay Adraee, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman says on X.

“For your safety, you must stay at home and not go out until further notice,” he adds.

The warning is issued to residents of Ofaniya, Quneitra, al-Hamidiyah, Samdaniya al-Gharbiyya and al-Qahtaniyah, all close to the Israeli border.

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