Under the radar: 'Israel's' ruthless expansion and Syrians' struggle
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Katia Ibrahim
- 1 Jan 2025 19:45
- 13 Shares
5 Min Read
In Quneitra, Israeli forces have taken control of villages, destroyed homes, and seized vital resources, while the Syrian government remains unresponsive. The people live in fear, with their land and livelihood under occupation.
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The summoning of young men for investigations, evacuation warnings, and the imposition of a curfew, are all happening without any reaction from Damascus. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Mahdi Rtail)
“Israel” capitalized on the fall of the Syrian regime on the 8th of this month, launching a wide-scale operation to destroy the qualitative capabilities of the Syrian Arab Army. The operation targeted missile weapons stores, manufacturing and development sites, air force facilities, air defense systems, radar installations, research centers, and naval combat assets. Israeli warplanes are still freely parading in Syrian airspace, with Syrian citizens always hearing the sounds of Israeli reconnaissance planes overhead.
In this scenario, the Syrian Arab Army would have lost the majority of its weaponry. If reconstituted, it would become a fragile and symbolic army force, incapable of effectively facing an overwhelming, American-backed Israeli military that occupies whatever land it wants, and bombs whatever it wants, whenever it wants.
While the head of the new Syrian administration, Ahmad al-Sharaa, (formerly Abu Muhammad al-Julani), was busy receiving political and security delegations from various countries, “Israel” initiated a large-scale ground incursion into southern Syria. This action was justified by the new governor of Damascus who stated, "Recently, Israel might have felt afraid, so it advanced a little and bombed a little. These fears are natural, but Syria's problem is not with Israel, and we do not wish to tamper with Israel's security."
In full view of the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) posts, Israeli forces violated the 1974 agreement and took control of more than 10 Syrian villages, covering an area of ​​more than 20,000 km²,
Abu Muhammad, a resident of the Quneitra countryside, told Al Mayadeen English what happened:
"The Israeli forces raised their flag on the Quneitra Governorate building, and destroyed numerous houses in the surrounding countryside, along with small farms in various towns. They bulldozed lands and farms and uprooted trees, and erected earthen barriers and fortifications around the Mantara Dam, Syria’s second-largest dam, cutting off our water supply. Additionally, they installed extensive surveillance cameras and communication devices. When civilians protested against their actions, the Israeli forces fired live ammunition directly at them, resulting in numerous injuries.
They sought to disarm all the villages, either by destroying heavy machinery or confiscating individual weapons, which had proliferated after the Syrian army withdrew from its military positions. Initially, we refused to hand over weapons except to the Syrian state. However, the Israelis informed the local dignitaries that they would not allow any armed faction to operate in the area."
The population is gripped by anxiety and panic following the Israeli incursions, the summoning of young men for investigations, evacuation warnings, and the imposition of a curfew, are all happening without any reaction from Damascus.
The Yarmouk Basin, the area richest in water resources in the Daraa countryside, came under complete Israeli control. Contrary to reports of an Israeli withdrawal, the region instead saw the establishment of a military presence on the heights overlooking the area. This occurred amidst a significant wave of displacement from the villages in the basin.
The Israeli occupation forces advanced to seize control of the strategic summit of Mount Hermon and destroyed the crosses where Syrian Christians traditionally gather to celebrate the Feast of the Transfiguration every year.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently visited the summit of Mount Hermon, where he stated, “On this occasion, I would like to thank my friend, President-elect Donald Trump, for responding to my request to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights in 2019. These heights will forever remain an integral part of Israel. Everyone understands the great importance of our presence there, on the summit of the Golan, not at its foot. Our control over the Golan Heights ensures our security, and it ensures our sovereignty.”
For Netanyahu, the old Zionist dream of controlling the water sources in northern Palestine, excluding the Litani River, has been realized.
This new situation has altered many equations, from a military perspective, and indicators suggest that the fate of the newly occupied Syrian territories will mirror that of the occupied Golan Heights. The land is highly fertile, and water resources are abundant, which increases the likelihood of permanent occupation and the construction of more settlements, provided no significant resistance emerges.
The Israeli occupation will likely disregard international resolutions if they are issued, as evidenced by United Nations Resolution No. 242 in November 1967, and Security Council Resolution No. 497, issued unanimously in 1981. Both resolutions called on "Israel" to annul the annexation of the Golan Heights, yet “Israel” has ignored them.
