On Friday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released body-camera footage from a rare direct gun battle, where troops from the 55th Brigade faced gunfire while arresting members of al-Jama’a al-Islamiyya, a Sunni terrorist group that Israel identifies as part of the broader Muslim Brotherhood network.
This cross-border firefight comes as the Trump administration moves to target groups affiliated with the Brotherhood and as tensions escalate between Prime Minister Netanyahu and Syria’s interim president.
The overnight operation took place in the Beit Jann area, approximately 10 kilometers inside Syria, under the purview of the 210th Division. According to the IDF, troops entered the area to detain suspects involved in planting improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and planning future attacks against Israel, including potential rocket fire. Two suspects were arrested before an exchange of fire began.
Six IDF soldiers were wounded, with three in serious condition. The IDF reported that several terrorists were killed, and the apprehended suspects were transferred to Israel for interrogation.
Al-Jama’a al-Islamiyya, founded as the Lebanese branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, has cooperated with Hamas and Hezbollah, maintaining infrastructure in and along the Syria-Lebanon border. The IDF states it has repeatedly struck the organization’s sites in Syria and Lebanon during the current conflict.
Channel 12 political correspondent Amit Segal noted Friday that this incident marks the first time since December 2024 — when Israeli forces took control of the Syrian side of Mount Hermon — that .
Segal wrote: “Could Syria become the IDF’s new Lebanon? … With six soldiers wounded overnight, the significant question is whether this is an isolated event, or if it signals the beginning of a prolonged, uncomfortable Israeli presence in Syria.”
Tensions between Syrian interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa and Israeli Prime Minister 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 commenced.
Netanyahu publicly criticized the visit on the same day, stating that Sharaa “returned inflated with a sense of international legitimacy,” and cautioning that any U.S.-Syria discussions must “not come at Israel’s expense.”
Additional reporting in the Jerusalem Post and Channel 12 indicated that security arrangements affecting Israel’s northern front were broadly discussed between U.S. and Syrian officials, though no agreements were reached, and Washington emphasized that consultations with Israel were ongoing.
Friday’s clash occurred 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.
The White House statement asserted that the Brotherhood “fuels terrorism and destabilization campaigns against U.S. interests and allies.”
Senator Cruz, a Republican from 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 , and American policy tightening, analysts suggest that the regional confrontations involving Brotherhood-connected groups may be entering a new phase.