DAMASCUS/JERUSALEM - Nine civilians were killed, and several others wounded in an Israeli airstrike late Wednesday targeting Syria's southern Daraa province, the state-run SANA news agency reported.

In a report on Thursday, SANA said the airstrike hit the Jubailiyah Forest area between the cities of Nawa and Tseel. It also reported heightened public anger and widespread mobilization in response to what it called a "massacre," as Israeli forces penetrated deeper than ever before into Syrian territory.

The attack came amid a series of coordinated Israeli airstrikes overnight that targeted several military sites across Syria, which, according to official sources, led to the near-total destruction of Hama Military Airport and injuries among both civilians and military personnel.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the Israeli strikes on the Jubailiyah Forest, designated as a national park, and the surrounding Tel al-Jumou area, killed at least nine local fighters who attempted to repel the Israeli incursion. The monitoring group said more deaths were likely as several others sustained critical injuries.

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Earlier Wednesday evening, Israeli ground forces, backed by dozens of armored vehicles, reportedly pushed into the Jubailiyah Forest area and took up positions. The move sparked speculation over whether Israel intends to establish a permanent military post in the area.

In a strongly worded statement, Syria's Foreign Ministry condemned what it described as "a wave of Israeli aggression," calling it a blatant violation of international law and Syrian sovereignty.

"These repeated assaults aim to normalize violence inside the country and undermine Syria's post-war recovery efforts," the statement read.

It urged the international community to take a firm stance and pressure Israel to end its aggression, abide by international law, and honor its commitments under the 1974 Disengagement Agreement.

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Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Thursday warned Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa that Israel would not tolerate the entry of hostile forces into Syria or threats to Israeli security.

In remarks to Defense Ministry employees, Katz said the latest overnight raid and airstrikes across Syria, including in the capital Damascus, were "a clear message and a warning for the future."

"I warn the Syrian ruler: if you allow forces hostile to Israel to enter Syria and endanger Israeli security interests -- you will pay a very heavy price," Katz said. He added that Israeli forces would remain deployed on the peak of Mount Hermon and in the buffer zone in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights "to defend the communities of the Golan Heights and Galilee from any threat."

According to a statement from the Israeli military, the operation aimed to seize weapons and destroy militant infrastructure. During the raid, several armed individuals opened fire on Israeli forces, who returned fire from the ground and the air, killing "several" gunmen, the military said.

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According to Katz, the troops opened fire because the militants "posed a threat to our forces."

The Observatory said at least four members of Syria's Ministry of Defense were killed and 12 others wounded in the attack.