Syria: Supposed Israeli Incursion, US Mulls Delisting HTS

An Israeli military incursion into southern Syria has reached about 25 km southwest of Damascus, Orda reports, citing The Times of Israel.

Two regional security sources and a Syrian were the initial sources. 

The Syrian source claimed Israeli troops reached Qatana, 10 km into Syrian territory east of the demilitarized zone separating Golan Heights from Syria.

The Israeli military later denied its forces went beyond the buffer zone. Against this backdrop, reports indicate that Israel has carried out several air strikes across Syria, including one targeting the nation's navy.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said the IDF aimed to "destroy strategic capabilities that threaten the State of Israel." 

The IDF has dismissed reports about tanks approaching Damascus as "false" but confirmed its troops being in Syrian territory beyond the demilitarized buffer zone between Syria and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. It has been called a "temporary solution."

The IDF said the strikes were to prevent weapons falling "into the hands of extremists," according to the BBC.

Previously, Qatar, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Iran condemned Israel for  "expanding its buffer zone" near the Golan Heights. Türkiye's Ministry of Foreign Affairs also condemned Israel's actions.

Israel's violation of the '1974 Separation of Forces Agreement' and its entry into the separation zone between Israel and Syria and its advancement into Syrian territory, the statement reads.

Meanwhile, Politico writes that officials in Washington are debating over delisting Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) as a terrorist organization following the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime.

There is a huge scramble to see if, and how, and when we can delist HTS,an official told Politico.

At the same time, reports emerged that The US carried out strikes on targets associated with *Islamic State, banned in Kazakhstan, in central Syria, while Türkiye targeted US-backed Kurdish forces. 

* Terrorist organization recognized as extremist in Kazakhstan: ISIS (Islamic State, by decision of the court of the Yesil district of Astana dated October 15, 2015)

Editor's note: The initial Reuters report is no longer available; it has either been edited or deleted. We have updated the article to reflect the current situation.