The cross-border clash surfaces amid efforts by the Trump administration to clamp down on organizations affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood. At the same time, tensions have heightened between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Syria’s interim president, further complicating regional dynamics.

The raid, conducted overnight in the Beit Jann area, located approximately 10 kilometers inside Syrian territory, was executed by the IDF’s 210th Division. According to military sources, the operation aimed to capture individuals responsible for planting improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and orchestrating future attacks against Israel, including potential rocket launches. The mission initially succeeded in detaining two suspects before a firefight ensued.

During the confrontation, six IDF soldiers sustained injuries, with three reported to be in serious condition. The IDF confirmed that several terrorists were killed in the exchange, and the captured suspects have been transported to Israel for further interrogation.

Six IDF soldiers were wounded, including three in serious condition. Several terrorists were killed, the IDF said, and the suspects were transferred to Israel for interrogation.

IDF troops move through the Beit Jann area in southern Syria during the overnight operation to apprehend members of Al-Jama’a al-Islamiyya, the Muslim Brotherhood-linked militant group. (IDF) (IDF)

Al-Jama’a al-Islamiyya, founded as the Lebanese branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, has cooperated with Hamas and Hezbollah, maintaining infrastructure in southern Lebanon and along the Syria-Lebanon border. The IDF says it has struck the organization’s sites in Syria and Lebanon repeatedly during the current war.

Channel 12 political correspondent Amit Segal noted Friday that the incident marks the first time since December 2024 — when Israeli forces took control of the Syrian side of Mount Hermon — that Israeli troops were wounded in a Syrian firefight.

Segal wrote: “Could Syria become the IDF’s new Lebanon? … With six soldiers wounded overnight, the big question is whether this is a one-off event, or if it signals the beginning of a long, uncomfortable Israeli presence in Syria.”

Tensions between Syrian interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have intensified since Sharaa’s unprecedented visit to Washington earlier this month. Sharaa met President Donald Trump at the White House for discussions on sanctions relief and counterterrorism coordination, making him the first Syrian leader to visit Washington since the Syrian war began.

Israeli forces secure the area around Beit Jann after detaining two suspects and coming under fire in one of the most serious clashes on the Syrian front this year. (IDF)

Netanyahu publicly criticized the visit the same day, saying Sharaa “returned inflated with a sense of international legitimacy,” and warning that any U.S.-Syria discussions must “not come at Israel’s expense.”

Additional reporting in the Jerusalem Post and Channel 12 noted that security arrangements affecting Israel’s northern front were discussed in broad terms between U.S. and Syrian officials, though no agreements were reached, and Washington stressed that consultations with Israel were ongoing.

Friday’s clash came the same week the Trump administration launched a sweeping effort to designate Muslim Brotherhood affiliates as terrorist organizations. The White House directive instructs federal agencies to evaluate and sanction Brotherhood entities in countries including Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon, citing global financial, political and operational ties among affiliates.

IDF armored vehicles maneuver in the Beit Jann area of southern Syria during the overnight counterterrorism operation against Al-Jama’a al-Islamiyya. (IDF)

The White House statement said the Brotherhood “fuels terrorism and destabilization campaigns against U.S. interests and allies.”

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, praised the move on his podcast Verdict, telling co-host Ben Ferguson that the designation marks the culmination of a decade of legislative efforts. Cruz said “This is literally 10 years of hard work, and it will make America safer because the Muslim Brotherhood is funding terrorists that want to murder you and want to murder me.”

He noted that many U.S. allies in the Middle East — including Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE — have already outlawed the organization, telling listeners: “They really want the United States to do what President Trump did this week.”

As Washington intensifies pressure on Brotherhood-linked movements, Israel is increasingly confronting Brotherhood-affiliated armed groups across the northern arena — from Hamas in Gaza to al-Jama’a al-Islamiyya in Syria and Lebanon.

With Beit Jann emerging as a focal point for cross-border operations, and American policy tightening, analysts say the regional confrontations involving Brotherhood-connected groups may be entering a new phase.