'Israel' storms Quneitra amid tensions near occupied Syrian Golan
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Israeli tanks and forces have conducted multiple incursions into Syria’s Quneitra countryside, with recent reports confirming armed violations near Jaba, Kudna, and Majdoulia.
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An Israeli armoured vehicle crosses the security fence moving towards the so-called Alpha Line that separates the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights from Syria, in the town of Majdal Shams, on December 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
On Saturday, Israeli tanks advanced on the outskirts of the village of Jaba in the central Quneitra countryside, opening heavy fire into Syrian territory before retreating into the occupied Golan Heights, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).
The latest violation is part of a growing pattern of field escalations along the Syrian-occupied Palestine border, raising concern among civilians and observers about the potential for wider conflict in the area.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that Saturday's incursion follows a series of similar cross-border operations in recent days. A notable incident involved five Israeli military vehicles entering the Abu Qubais area in the town of Kudna, southern Quneitra, without engaging with civilians.
The day before, another intrusion was documented in the nearby village of Majdoulia. Both operations were conducted without warning and were accompanied by intensive reconnaissance flights over Quneitra, contributing to growing fear among residents of an imminent escalation.
Syrians expel Israeli patrol in Quneitra
Late last month, residents of the village of Ruwayhina in the central countryside of Quneitra forced an Israeli patrol to retreat after it entered the village and reportedly harassed civilians, according to SOHR. The incident reflects a continuing wave of public rejection of the Israeli occupation’s presence in southern Syria.
According to the report, the patrol provoked immediate anger among the residents by stopping passersby, leading to crowds throwing stones at Israeli vehicles and tearing down an Israeli flag from one of the military vehicles. The encounter underscored the rising local tension in the wake of repeated Israeli incursions in the region.
The intrusion into Ruwayhina follows a recent string of similar operations by Israeli forces across the Quneitra and western Daraa countryside.
Earlier the same day, a separate Israeli patrol, comprising six armored vehicles, entered the Yarmouk Basin area in western Daraa and temporarily stationed along the road between the villages of Jamla and Saysoon before withdrawing. No information has been reported regarding the purpose or consequences of the maneuver.
