IOF advance toward central, northern Quneitra countryside in Syria
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The Israeli occupation forces continue their advances in southern Syria, deploying soldiers, military vehicles, and drones to overlook the region.
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Israeli soldiers stand on armoured vehicles inside the buffer zone near the so-called Alpha Line that separates the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights from Syria, on Saturday, December 21, 2024. (AP)
Israeli occupation forces (IOF), backed by heavy military vehicles and armored units, advanced toward the town of Majduliya and its hospital in the central countryside of Quneitra, southern Syria, Al Mayadeen's correspondent reported.
The incursion was accompanied by Israeli reconnaissance drones flying over Quneitra province, as well as Israeli forces advancing into the town of Umm Batnah in the central countryside and the village of Ain al-Nouriya in northern Quneitra.
Additionally, the IOF set up a mobile checkpoint in the area while intensifying aerial activity over the region.
This also comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for the full demilitarization of Southern Syria, citing escalating security concerns over the presence of "hostile forces near Israel’s borders," Israel Hayom reported.
On his part, Israel Hayom's diplomatic analyst Ariel Kahana argued that Netanyahu's demand, which focuses on the provinces of Quneitra, Daraa, and al-Suweida, is driven by fears that "internal sectarian tensions and deep-seated hostility toward Israel" could spiral into renewed instability, despite the current fragile calm in Syria.
Syria, al-Suweida, will always be Arab
Israeli website i24NEWS had reported that tensions escalated in al-Suweida following "incidents considered contrary to history and national heritage by residents."
“Within minutes, sectarian tensions flared among members of the same community… Between the raising of the Israeli flag by unidentified individuals at the ‘Ankoud Roundabout’ at the entrance to al-Suweida and its swift removal, the province was on high alert for any potential escalation,” the website noted.
Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, the spiritual leader of the Druze Muslim community, consequently reaffirmed Syria’s Arab identity and rejected any calls for al-Suweida’s separation from the country.
Residents from various areas, including Jaramana and Sahnaya in Damascus’ countryside, gathered at Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri’s guesthouse to express their support for his stance on the country and the province’s Arab identity.
Did Netanyahu light the match?
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other officials had made statements that were considered the initial spark for the ongoing tensions in southern Syria.
After intense and fatal clashes were reported in Jaramana, Netanyahu claimed the IOF was ready to "defend" the Druze town.
However, prominent Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt opposed these remarks, revealing that his relative had traveled to Damascus to meet Ahmad al-Sharaa and reaffirm the Druze community’s rejection of partition and what he described as "the Israeli project in Syria."
Read more: Jumblatt warns against Israeli sabotage scheme in Syria
