Juggling Iranian Hezbollah Units Near Damascus, Syria and Gaza City's Hamas Fronts While Searching For Hostages

 Nadene Goldfoot                                     

     Outside of Damascus, Syria is Al-Kiswah, Hezbollah and Syrian                                    Military housing Units.  

Juggling Iranian Hezbollah Units near Damascus and Gaza City's Hamas Fronts:  

Syrian state media and opposition outlets reported that Israeli special forces carried out a rare ground raid near Damascus, following airstrikes on military sites in al-Kiswah. 

Al-Kiswah  is a city in the Rif Dimashq Governorate, Syria. It is located approximately 13 kilometres (8 miles) south of Damascus.  Al-Kiswah is made up of more than 22 villages, somd of which are: (Al-Kiswah city, Al-Kiswah military housing, Al-Harjala military housing, Deir Ali military housing, Al-Dulab military housing, Western displaced housing, Eastern displaced housing, Al-Harjala displaced housing, etc.  

Dozens of commandos reportedly landed by helicopter for a two-hour operation, equipped with search and surveillance gear, and withdrew under heavy aerial cover. 

Syrian sources said the target was a base used by Iranian and Hezbollah units and claimed that eight soldiers were killed, including members of the 44th Division. 

Syrian commanders reportedly discovered “surveillance and listening devices” during patrols, prompting the Israeli raid. The Syrian Defense Ministry called the raid a “grave violation of sovereignty.” Israel did not comment.

• Israel and the new Syrian government have opened dialogue, but relations are tense. Israel has established diplomatic contacts with the new, post-Assad government of Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa to lower tensions and discuss a potential security deal. However, Israel has also launched airstrikes and ground operations within Syria, which the Syrian government has condemned as a "clear violation" of its sovereignty.  al-Sharaa's name had been Abu Mohammad al-Jolani.  In fact, Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa (born 29 October 1982), also known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammad al-Julani, is a Syrian politician and former rebel commander serving as the president of Syria since January 2025.
• Istanbul reported Israeli warplanes struck several sites near the town of Al-Kiswah in the Damascus countryside in southern Syria on Wednesday evening, local media said.

  The state-run Al-Ikhbariya TV reported the news, without giving details about injuries or damage from the strike.  The channel also reported another Israeli airstrike on the same area as well as "intensive" flights by Israeli aircraft in the skies of Damascus. The attack came a day after airstrikes on the same town killed six Syrian soldiers.  The Israeli army also staged several incursions into the Quneitra countryside in southern Syria, despite international calls for halting violations of Syria’s sovereignty.  Following the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime last December, Israel has launched hundreds of strikes that targeted military sites and assets across Syria, including fighter jets, missile systems and air defense installations, according to reports.

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       Gaza City Before War, Gaza,^] often called Gaza City, is a city in the Gaza Strip, Palestine, and the capital of the Gaza Governorate. Located on the Mediterranean coast, 76.6 kilometres (47.6 mi) southwest of Jerusalem, it was home to Palestine's only port. With a population of 590,481 people as of 2017, Gaza City was the most populous city in Palestine until the Gaza war caused most of the population to be displaced.

Tens of thousands of residents have fled Gaza City, as the IDF prepares for a major ground offensive. The army announced it would establish a secure humanitarian corridor for civilians to move south, while Hamas has been pressuring people to remain in the city, with reports of armed units blocking evacuation routes. Residents described collapsing services, sewage flooding, and soaring food prices. Aid groups warned that famine conditions are spreading, with the UN cautioning that “all hope is gone” if relief trucks remain stalled. Israel has disputed the famine reports. Hamas is stalling the trucks, stealing the food and selling it to their people at high prices.  It all goes into the Hamas pot. 

Eli Sharabi, 52, was taken from Be'eri with his brother, Yossi, since confirmed dead. Eli's wife and two daughters were murdered in the attack. Ofir Engel, the boyfriend of Yossi's daughter, Yuval, was also taken, but released on 29 November. Eli was released by Hamas on 8 February. Eli Sharabi was freed on Saturday 8 February.
 

Yes, Israeli hostages have been held in southern Gaza, including in the cities of Rafah and Khan Younis. The presence of hostages in the south has directly impacted the nature of Israel's military operations in the area. The last time Israel and Hamas struck a ceasefire in their war, in early 2025, 38 hostages were released — almost all of them living.

Since then, Israel has retrieved the bodies of nine other hostages taken during Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, while US President Donald Trump negotiated the release of Edan Alexander, a soldier who had been the last living American-Israeli in Gaza. And officials conveyed that another two hostages who had not been confirmed dead were in fact no longer living.That leaves 20 living hostages — all young men — and 30 deceased ones on the verge of what could be another ceasefire during which half would be released. All of the living hostages are in poor condition after 21 months of captivity, Israeli lawmakers were reportedly told during a briefing on Sunday.

Resource:

israelAM

https://jewishbubba.blogspot.com/2025/07/the-foreign-terrorist-organization-of.html

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/israel-launches-fresh-airstrikes-in-damascus-countryside-in-syria/3670975

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Kiswah