IOF violations in Syria’s Quneitra signal displacement plan: Exclusive
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The Israeli occupation military continues its violations against the southern province of Quneitra, where civilians are reporting repeated violations and deliberate targeting by Israeli forces.
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Local residents wait on the side of the road to be evacuated due to fears of Israeli army incursions, on the outskirts of the village of Koayiah, southwestern Syria, Tuesday, March 25, 2025 (AP)
The Syrian province of Quneitra is witnessing a rapid Israeli military escalation, as occupation forces carry out swift incursions, expanding the scope of fire and deliberate targeting to include civilian areas, revealing the outlines of a plan that places displacement and expulsion among the occupation's objectives.
Israeli forces carried out a swift military operation near the towns of Taranjeh and Koum Mheires in Quneitra's countryside, striking Syrian army positions and destroying military installations within minutes, while also hitting nearby residential areas.
Reports indicate that homes were also hit, raising questions over whether their targeting was accidental or deliberate.
Abu Marwan, a local villager from the Quneitra province, told Al Mayadeen that he demands compensation after he and hundreds of farmers faced ongoing violations by Israeli forces, who targeted not only abandoned military posts and disabled vehicles but also civilians themselves, despite no apparent security justification.
"Israel's" creation of buffer zones, ostensibly to push residents away, has instead placed their homes within the line of fire, suggesting a deliberate escalation in the occupation army's operations.
This latest Israeli operation follows a pattern of similar strikes, including previous attacks near the town of Hadr, where military positions were destroyed in a matter of minutes, with the impact extending beyond traditional military zones and affecting
Local residents reported deliberate targeting of civilian areas, and the increasing frequency of such raids suggests a broader strategy—one that appears to include forced displacement as an intended outcome.
'Israel' launches incursion into Quneitra, Syria
In December of 2024, the Israeli occupation military launched an incursion into the southern province of Quneitra in Syria following the fall of the al-Assad regime, infiltrating and storming towns in the countryside of the province and issuing evacuation orders to residents.
Israeli occupation forces, accompanied by tanks and infantry units, stormed the towns of Ruwaihinah and Umm Batna in Quneitra's central countryside, conducting searches of multiple houses and seizing various weapons and ammunition, according to local sources in southern Syria who spoke to Al Mayadeen on December 12.
In a move that has triggered widespread international criticism, including from UN chief Antonio Guterres, the Israeli military seized the demilitarized zone on December 8, just hours after the armed opposition in Syria seized control of most of the country's territory.
"Israel" has launched hundreds of strikes on military sites since al-Assad's fall in December, claiming it wants to prevent weapons from falling into the hands of the new authorities.
"Israel" has also deployed troops to the Golan Heights buffer zone, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has demanded the demilitarization of southern Syria, which borders the Israeli-occupied Golan.
United Nations special envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen told the Security Council in March that he was "concerned by Israeli statements on the intention to stay in Syria" and demands for the full demilitarization of the south.
At an Arab summit in Cairo in early March, Syria's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa called on the international community to pressure "Israel" to "immediately" withdraw its troops from southern Syria, calling it a "direct threat" to peace in the region.
