Loss of an Israeli Military Classified Phone in Syria
In an incident unprecedented for the Israeli military in recent years, a military position on Tal Qudna hill in southern Syria became the scene of an unconventional confrontation.
The village of Abidine in Syria’s southern Daraa province witnessed tensions on Sunday after Israeli forces entered the area, prompting residents to attempt to block the path of one of the military patrols by throwing stones.
Israel responded with artillery shelling, forcing the village’s residents to flee overnight to neighboring communities, according to official media and a local official.
According to the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, the confrontation began when Israeli forces stationed at the Tal Qudna military position in southern Syria came under gunfire.
The newspaper reported that the shooting prompted the Israeli military to respond with artillery fire and airstrikes, forcing local residents to leave the area.
Details of the Incident
According to the newspaper, an Israeli reserve soldier lost a classified military phone during the incident, which was later found in the possession of a Syrian resident.
An Israeli reservist stationed in Syria told the newspaper that the incident began when Israeli forces at the position came under fire.
He said: “There was a gathering of civilians. Many people approached the military position, forcing the soldiers to retreat. Amid the chaos and confusion, one of the soldiers lost his device containing classified information. It is a serious incident when such a device is lost.”
He added: “As far as I know, they realized it quickly and remotely locked the phone in an attempt to minimize the damage. These are our final days in this sector, and suddenly the situation has become active.”
Military Response
Without providing details about the measures taken to prevent any leakage of information from the device, the Israeli military stated that “the incident is known, is currently under investigation, and is being handled through the appropriate official channels,” according to the newspaper.
Scenes from Syria… and Images of the Lost Phone
Meanwhile, widely circulated footage showed local residents throwing stones at Israeli soldiers. Later, artillery shells were fired toward the village of Abidine, whose residents fled en masse to neighboring villages.
Images of weapons and military equipment also surfaced, including footage showing the missing military phone.
The Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused Israel of carrying out “attacks and incursions” in the provinces of Quneitra and Daraa, stating that the continuation of these operations undermines efforts to achieve security and stability while increasing the suffering of civilians.
Israeli forces have been deployed inside the buffer zone in southern Syria since the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad’s government in December 2024. The area has since witnessed recurring Israeli incursions and patrols, occasionally accompanied by confrontations with local residents.
The newspaper quoted Lieutenant Colonel (Reserve) Eyal Dror, the former commander of the Israeli military’s “Good Neighbor” program, as saying that the continued presence of Israeli forces in populated areas increases the likelihood of friction with local residents. He warned that the level of escalation could gradually intensify over time.
He added that local residents view the Israeli presence as an occupation, arguing that the absence of a political process alongside the military deployment will further increase tensions amid stalled negotiations between Israel and Syria and growing Syrian opposition to the Israeli presence in southern Syria.
