The Syrian Future Movement highly commends the public demonstration organized by the residents of the Jobar neighborhood in Damascus on Friday, October 30, 2026. The event was held in solidarity with the people of Daraa and Quneitra, and in condemnation of the ongoing Israeli attacks on southern Syria. Participants, including a large number of residents from the neighborhood and surrounding areas, raised the slogan: “Our people in Daraa and Quneitra are not alone.”
The Syrian Future Movement views this stance as an embodiment of a genuine national consciousness—recognizing that the issue of the south is not merely a local matter, but one of sovereignty and territorial integrity that concerns every Syrian. It affirms that the blood being shed in Daraa and Quneitra is national blood, making no distinction between one region and another.
The Syrian Future Movement notes that this demonstration follows previous national statements that held the Syrian government, as well as various Arab and international actors, responsible for halting the persistent Israeli assaults on Quneitra province and southern Syria—asserting that “southern Syria is not a stage for your elections.”
The Syrian Future Movement believes that the decision by the residents of Jobar—despite the significant challenges they themselves face—to stand in solidarity with the south, serves as a lesson in national priorities. It demonstrates that the Syrian wound is one, and that solidarity between cities remains the most potent response to attempts at division and fragmentation. The Syrian Future Movement views with extreme gravity the scale of Israeli violations targeting civilians in southern Syria, based on documented human rights reports:
The Syrian Network for Human Rights has documented at least 453 ground incursions carried out by Israeli occupation forces into Syrian territory between the country’s liberation on December 8, 2024, and October 6, 2026. These incursions were concentrated in the governorates of Quneitra and Daraa, with a smaller number occurring in the Damascus countryside.
The documented death toll stands at at least 69 individuals—including civilians, three children, and three women—as well as personnel from the Ministries of Defense and Interior.
The Network also recorded 162 cases of arbitrary detention, involving 20 children and one media worker. These cases were distributed as follows: 115 in Quneitra, 37 in Daraa, and 10 in the Damascus countryside. The fate of 35 of those detained remains unknown.
The Syrian Future Movement emphasizes that these figures represent only the documented minimum and do not constitute a final tally. The assaults did not cease on October 6, 2026; rather, they have continued. Most recently, a young man named Mu’adh Salama al-Ba’ir—who lived with a disability—was shot and killed by occupation forces in the village of Jamla, in the western countryside of Daraa, at dawn on Thursday, October 22, 2026—an incident that has sparked widespread public outrage. The Syrian Future Movement asserts that the daily continuation of these violations, in the absence of any genuine international deterrent, exposes the international community’s failure to uphold international law and serves as a dangerous signal that Israel continues to operate beyond the reach of accountability.
The Syrian Future Movement reaffirms its consistent positions—as documented on its official website—in which it has repeatedly condemned Israeli aggression in southern Syria and called for urgent international action:
In its statement titled “Israeli Incursions in Daraa and Quneitra,” dated March 17, 2026, the Syrian Future Movement demanded urgent intervention by the international community to halt these grave violations, emphasizing that “national sovereignty is not a matter for compromise or negotiation.”
In its statement titled “Quneitra Is Not Alone,” dated October 21, 2026, the Syrian Future Movement expressed its support for a unified national declaration, held both the government and international actors responsible for ending the aggressions, and called for peaceful demonstrations under the slogan: “Southern Syria is not a stage for your elections.”
The Syrian Future Movement notes that popular solidarity with the south has extended beyond Jobar; it has also manifested in other demonstrations, including a gathering by the families of abductees in Jdeideh Artouz and Jdeideh al-Fadl. These families demanded the release of their loved ones held in Israeli prisons—a development that underscores how the cause of the south has evolved into a unifying national issue, transcending any specific group or region. The Syrian Future Movement considers this solidarity to be the most powerful message that can be sent to the occupying power and the international community: that Syria does not stand alone in the face of aggression, and that every Syrian city is Daraa, and every Syrian village is Quneitra.
The Syrian Future Movement holds the transitional government responsible for protecting national sovereignty in the south. It urges the government to go beyond mere diplomatic statements and instead work toward establishing a ceasefire as an unconditional first step, elevating the level of diplomatic representation in international forums, and exerting tangible pressure to halt activities linked to the “SOFA 53” project.
The Syrian Future Movement warns that the continuation of Israeli aggression—absent a genuine response from the international community—could lead to a new wave of displacement in the south, effectively recreating the tragedy of forced migration that Syrians have endured for decades, particularly given the targeting of civilians, arbitrary arrests, and raids on homes.
The Syrian Future Movement emphasizes that protecting civilians in Daraa and Quneitra is not the sole responsibility of the government, but rather the duty of all Syrians. It asserts that popular solidarity must be accompanied by political, media, and legal pressure to compel the international community to take action.
Acting upon its national responsibility, the Syrian Future Movement recommends the following:
First: The continuation of peaceful popular mobilization, while maintaining an inclusive character that transcends political divisions. No party should be permitted to transform the cause of the south into an arena for internal conflict or a tool for polarization; the strength of the popular stance lies in its unity and sincerity. Second: Translating popular solidarity into effective diplomatic pressure by urging the government to submit an urgent, formal memorandum to the UN Security Council and the United Nations. This memorandum should demand an immediate and unconditional cessation of Israeli attacks, the withdrawal of occupation forces from areas they have encroached upon, and the activation of international monitoring mechanisms for the disengagement agreement.
Third: Pursuing accountability for the occupation’s crimes before international forums by documenting all violations—including the killing of Muath al-Ba’ir—and submitting this evidence to the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism (IIIM) and the International Criminal Court (ICC), while ensuring that no Israeli official escapes accountability.
…[to hold the aggressor] accountable for its crimes against the Syrian people.
Fourth: Compensating the victims of these attacks and supporting their families through a national fund dedicated to the families of martyrs, the wounded, and those who have been abducted. This includes providing healthcare and psychological support to the injured, as well as assisting the families of those held in Israeli prisons.
Fifth: Linking the issue of the South to the national reconstruction agenda, ensuring that the South is not addressed in isolation from the rest of the provinces. Furthermore, the issue of sovereignty must not be exploited to settle political scores; the Syria we envision is a unified nation, where its peripheral regions are protected just as its capital is, and where every inch of its territory is safeguarded.
The Syrian Future Movement commends the stance taken by the people of Jobar, viewing it as a living embodiment of true citizenship—a concept measured not by words, but by actions.
The Syrian Future Movement reaffirms that the sentiment “you are not alone” is a national commitment. It serves as a message to anyone attempting to violate Syrian sovereignty: all of Syria—from Daraa to Quneitra—stands as one, and the blood of the martyrs in the South shall not have been shed in vain.
The Syrian Future Movement asserts that building a new Syria begins with a unified position, is sustained by a shared sacrifice (a unity of blood), and is fulfilled through a common destiny. For its part, the Syrian Future Movement will continue to support all efforts that strengthen Syria’s sovereignty and unity. It will remain vigilant, offering constructive criticism regarding any shortcomings and monitoring developments on the ground, all in pursuit of a new Syria that recovers its entire territory and ensures that every inch of its soil is protected.
