DAMSCUS, SYRIA - MARCH 28, 2025: People gathered in Damascus on Friday, March 28, to protest Israel's recent attacks on the town of Koya in Daraa province. Demonstrators assembled in Umayyad Square, the heart of the Syrian capital, holding Arabic and English placards with slogans such as "No place for occupiers in Syria," "We will fight against partition, even with the remnants of our bodies," "No to all forms of occupation," and "Boycott, resist." Dima Musa, one of the protesters, told Anadolu that she condemned Israel's escalating attacks on Syria in recent months. She called on the international community to take urgent action against the occupation, stating, "It is clear that the current response is insufficient. Israel will continue to occupy more land in neighboring countries and spread chaos throughout the region." Musa also criticized the international community's silence regarding Israel's actions in Gaza, Palestine, and southern Lebanon. She emphasized, "Our primary demand is for the cessation of the Israeli occupation and the implementation of United Nations (UN) resolutions. The Syrian government must request a special session in the UN Security Council to address Israel's attacks." Some protesters carried Palestinian flags and banners with messages such as "Free Palestine" to condemn Israel's ongoing genocide in Gaza. At least six people were killed in Israeli shelling on Tuesday in the western Daraa province in southern Syria, authorities said. The Daraa governor’s office said several people were also injured, including a woman, when Israeli forces staged an incursion in the town of Koya in western Daraa followed by artillery shelling. “The attack has caused a state of panic among citizens as Israeli reconnaissance planes flew over the area,” the statement said. The state television reported that many residents had fled the town following the Israeli bombardment. The Israeli army, for its part, acknowledged the attack, saying its forces returned fire after identifying gunmen who allegedly opened fire on Israeli forces. Following the deadly attacks, the Syrian Civil Defense said it evacuated 24 families from the village to safer areas of their choosing. Last week, Israeli warplanes carried out several airstrikes in Daraa, killing at least four people and injuring 19 others, including women and children. After the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime, Israel expanded its occupation of the Syrian Golan Heights by seizing the demilitarized buffer zone, a move that violated the 1974 disengagement agreement with Syria. Israel also launched hundreds of airstrikes that targeted military sites and assets across Syria, including fighter jets, missile systems, and air defense installations, according to reports. Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia after anti-regime groups took control of Damascus on Dec. 8, ending the Baath Party regime, which had been in power since 1963. Ahmed al-Sharaa, who led anti-regime forces to oust Assad, was declared president for a transitional period in late January.