Israeli forces stage new incursions into Syria's Quneitra

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen
Today 06:30

Israeli forces staged new incursions into Syria’s Quneitra countryside, setting up checkpoints amid drone overflights.

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Israeli soldiers stop a Syrian Druze family, who fled violence outside Damascus, from crossing the buffer zone that used to separate Israeli occupation forces and Syrian forces on Golan Heights. Photo undated (AFP)

Local Syrian sources reported on Monday that Israeli occupation forces carried out a new incursion into the town of al-Samdaniyah al-Gharbiyah in the central Quneitra countryside. According to eyewitness accounts, Israeli occupation troops erected a checkpoint immediately after the incursion, while a reconnaissance drone flew overhead.

The move came just two days after a similar maneuver in the nearby village of al-Samdaniyah al-Sharqiyah, where five Israeli military vehicles entered the town and set up a roadside inspection post, accompanied by a wider deployment of soldiers and drone overflights.

Israelis seeks strategic positions within Syria

These incursions form part of a broader pattern of Israeli military activity across southern Syria since the fall of the former government on December 8, 2024. Residents in border areas of Quneitra, Daraa, and even the Damascus countryside have reported repeated ground penetrations, alongside frequent aerial strikes across Syrian territory.

Such operations have stirred growing anger among Syrians, who view them as direct violations of sovereignty at a time when the country’s transitional leadership has publicly ruled out normalization with "Israel" and insisted that security arrangements must respect Syrian territorial integrity.

Talks amid continued hostilities

The latest incidents underscore the gap between ongoing diplomatic contacts and the realities on the ground. Syrian Transitional President Ahmad al-Sharaa and his government have acknowledged that mediated discussions with "Israel" are underway, focused on reviving security arrangements resembling the 1974 disengagement deal.

Damascus has set clear conditions: recognition of its sovereignty, an end to airstrikes, and halting of cross-border raids. However, "Israel" has thus far refused to commit to any significant pullback, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissing the idea of a buffer zone withdrawal as “a joke.”