Syrian residents of al-Muallaqat refuse Israeli aid under occupation
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Residents of al-Muallaqat village in Syria’s Quneitra Governorate reject aid from the Israeli occupation, stressing, "How can we accept your aid while you occupy our land?"
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Israeli armored vehicles park on the side of a road in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, on December 22, 2024. (AP)
Residents of the village of al-Muallaqat in the Quneitra Governorate of southern Syria rejected aid offered by the Israeli occupation forces on Friday, emphasizing that they do not want assistance from an entity that occupies their land.
Khader Obeida, the village mayor, told Anadolu Agency that Israeli soldiers repeatedly enter and exit the village more than ten times a day, conducting home searches and instilling fear among women and children.
Obeida added that the soldiers offered him relief supplies to distribute to the residents, but the villagers rejected the offer, expressing a preference for aid from the Syrian government and local organizations that provide essential services.
In disbelief, the mayor asked, “How can I accept your aid while you are occupying our land?," emphasizing that that accepting such aid would be a disrespect to Syrian blood.
'Israel' builds bases in Syria: WashPo
On February 2, The Washington Post wrote that the Israeli occupation forces, who have invaded several Syrian villages beyond the buffer zone and Mount Hermon, appear to be preparing for a lasting stay in the territories as earthmoving Israeli vehicles have made their way across the Syrian border.
Satellite images reviewed by The Post revealed over half a dozen buildings and vehicles within a fortified Israeli base, with a nearly identical site located five miles to the south. The two bases are connected by newly constructed dirt roads leading to the occupied Golan Heights. Further south, a cleared area—identified by experts as the possible foundation of a third base—is also visible.
Israeli occupation forces now move in and out of the buffer zone, which, under the 1974 ceasefire agreement between the Israeli occupation and Syria, was meant to remain demilitarized. However, the Israeli occupation has declared the agreement void following the collapse of the Assad regime.
The two new construction sites appear to be forward observation bases, resembling those in the Israeli-occupied part of the Golan Heights, according to William Goodhind, an imagery analyst at Contested Ground. The base in Jubata al-Khassab is more developed, while the southern site is still under construction.
Goodhind noted that the former offers better visibility for troops, whereas the latter has easier access to the region’s road network—an advantage that a potential third base on the cleared land farther south would also share.
