Syria on 25 August accused Israel of sending about 60 soldiers across the border to seize Tel Bat al-Warda hill near Beit Jinn on the slopes of Mount Hermon, a strategic high point overlooking the Lebanese frontier. Damascus said the operation violated its sovereignty, involved the arrest of six Syrians and constituted what it called a “dangerous escalation” threatening regional peace and security. An Israeli military spokesperson confirmed troops had conducted a routine manoeuvre in southern Syria but denied any activity in Beit Jinn. The spokesperson said no arrests were made, adding that one individual was briefly detained after approaching the force in a manner deemed threatening. The incident comes as U.S. envoys broker talks aimed at reducing hostilities in southern Syria, where Israel has maintained a de facto security zone since the fall of Bashar al-Assad last year. Mount Hermon has been integral to those security deployments, with Israel’s defence minister earlier pledging an indefinite presence on the summit. Separately, the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control published a final rule removing the Syria Sanctions Regulations, effective 26 August. The Syrian Foreign Ministry welcomed the move, calling it an encouraging step even as it warned that Israel’s ground incursion could undermine wider diplomatic efforts.