Israeli incursions escalate in southern Syria near Quneitra villages
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Israeli occupation forces advance into villages near Quneitra without clashes, raising concerns over repeated violations of Syria’s sovereignty.
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Cars drive past a roundabout hoisting the new Syrian flag after the ousting of the Assad regime, in Salam City in Quneitra, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025 (AP)
Military activity by the Israeli occupation escalated over the weekend in southern Syria, with new incursions into villages near the occupied Golan Heights, according to reports from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).
On Saturday morning, an Israeli force reportedly advanced into the outskirts of Sidah and the village of Abu Madhra’a, in the southern countryside of al-Quneitra, without encountering resistance or any formal response from Syrian government forces. Simultaneously, an Israeli patrol was spotted moving toward the village of Kudnah, again without clashes.
Despite repeated Israeli military incursions, there has been no official statement from Damascus regarding these movements. Observers have questioned the apparent silence from the Syrian government, especially in light of the recurring nature of these violations along the Golan frontier.
Further escalation in East al-Samdaniyah
In a related development, the SOHR reported that on Friday, an Israeli unit comprising a tank, an armored personnel carrier, and roughly 30 soldiers advanced into the village of al-Samdaniyah al-Sharqiyah in eastern Quneitra. The troops searched several homes before withdrawing to Israeli-occupied positions. No arrests were reported during the operation.
This follows a separate incident days earlier in northern Quneitra, where an Israeli force consisting of three tanks and six military vehicles entered the village of al-Hurriyah, sealing off several roads during the incursion.
Ongoing aggression across southern Syria
The Israeli occupation continues its systematic operations across southern Syria, particularly targeting rural areas in Quneitra and Daraa. These include frequent incursions, home raids, and detentions, as well as broader acts of aggression such as airstrikes against Syrian Army positions, critical infrastructure, and strategic facilities.
These incursions have intensified in recent months, raising alarm about the implications for Syria’s territorial sovereignty and regional stability in the aftermath of the state’s weakened central control following years of war.
Despite the lack of direct military confrontation during the latest movements, the expanding reach of the Israeli occupation's military activities on Syrian soil has triggered renewed scrutiny of its long-term objectives and the international community's muted response to these actions.
Israeli forces invade Syria's Beit Jann, detain and kill civilians
On June 12, Israeli Army Radio reported that forces from the Alexandroni Brigade carried out a nighttime invasion into the Syrian village of Beit Jann, situated about 10 kilometers from the occupied border, where they detained several Syrians accused of "involvement in terrorism."
Local sources told Al Mayadeen that the operation marked the farthest penetration by occupation forces into the southwestern Damascus countryside in recent years, as well as the first documented instance of Israeli troops entering Beit Jann’s residential areas.
Tensions escalated in the area after Israeli forces shot and killed a resident on Thursday morning, sparking calls for a mass demonstration in Beit Jann during the funeral procession as residents rallied against the killings and repeated military incursions.
Sources stated that one of the targeted individuals was killed during a clash at a local gathering, allegedly after resisting detention, while the Israeli army had earlier announced the names of 10 individuals it is looking to detain through loudspeakers before detaining seven and fatally shooting one.
