Syrian soldiers chanted slogans in support of Gaza at a military parade on Monday in Damascus, as the country marked the first anniversary of fall of the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.
Footage of the parade has been shared widely on social media in recent days, raising concerns within Israel – which has occupied more Syrian territory and regularly bombed areas of the country since December 2024.
“Gaza, Gaza / Gaza a banner, day and night / bombing and destruction / we will not collapse / I’m coming for you, my enemy, I’m coming—coming for you even if you hide in the mountain of fire / I’ll make ammunition from my blood / and turn your blood into rivers,” the soldiers chanted at the parade, which was held in the presence of President Ahmed al-Sharaa and other top Syrian officials.
The military cadence was also used by Hamas’s armed wing, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, in Gaza, as seen in a video shared by the group in February.
The Algerian army has also used the chant in its military exercises, according to Syrian news website Enab Baladi.
The footage has been reported widely in Israeli media, with Israel’s Army Radio quoting unnamed security officials as saying that the defence establishment – including senior officials – have met to discuss the matter.
“The nature of the [Syrian] regime is extremist jihadism, and we do not confuse them,” an official told the radio station.
Israeli belligerence
Since the overthrow of the Assad regime in December 2024, Israel has escalated its bombing of Syria, while also occupying areas beyond the Golan Heights, which it captured in 1967, and caried out near-daily raids on the country’s south.
On Wednesday, Israeli forces abducted a young man from the village of Al-Ardeh in Daraa Governorate’s Western countryside.
Journalist Nour al-Hassan told The New Arab’s Arabic-language sister site, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, that Israeli forces entered the village and targeted the home of Mohammed al-Qweider, before taking him to an unknown destination.
Al-Hassan pointed out that the Israeli incursions into southern Syria have increased, as as have the frequency of kidnappings.
Fadi Al-Asma’i, editor-in-chief of the Golan Media Foundation, told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that 41 young people are currently being held by Israel, with one man having been released.
Elsewhere, on Wednesday three Syrians were wounded by Israeli gunfire when soldiers targeted the town of Khan Arnabeh in the Quneitra countryside.
Local sources told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that an Israeli military force consisting of five vehicles suddenly entered the area, before setting up a temporary military checkpoint between Khan Arnabeh and the village of Ain Aisha on the old highway in the northern countryside of Quneitra.
The soldiers fired live bullets and smoke bombs towards civilians in the vicinity of the checkpoint, which led to the injury of three of them who were transferred to receive treatment, while completely blocking traffic.