Syrians expel Israeli patrol in Quneitra amid rising tensions

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
30 May 2025 22:39
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An Israeli patrol was driven out by residents in southern Syria as regional tensions rise with more incursions in Quneitra and Daraa.

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A Syrian soldier closes the gate of a military base on the outskirts of Harasta, near Damascus, Syria, Saturday, May 3, 2025 (AP)

Residents of the village of Ruwayhina in the central countryside of Quneitra, southern Syria, forced an Israeli patrol to retreat after it entered the village and reportedly harassed civilians, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). The incident reflects a continuing wave of public rejection of the Israeli occupation’s presence in southern Syria.

According to the report, the patrol provoked immediate anger among the residents by stopping passersby, leading to crowds throwing stones at Israeli vehicles and tearing down an Israeli flag from one of the military vehicles. The encounter underscored the rising local tension in the wake of repeated Israeli incursions in the region.

The intrusion into Ruwayhina follows a recent string of similar operations by Israeli forces across the Quneitra and western Daraa countryside. Earlier today, a separate Israeli patrol, comprising six armored vehicles, entered the Yarmouk Basin area in western Daraa and temporarily stationed along the road between the villages of Jamla and Saysoon before withdrawing. No information has been reported regarding the purpose or consequences of the maneuver.

'Israel' disregards Syria's sovereignty

A few days ago, Israeli occupation forces breached Syrian territory, advancing between the villages of al-Samadaniyah al-Sharqiyah and al-Ajraf in the countryside of Quneitra, according to local Syrian sources.

The incursion involved two tanks and two military vehicles, marking yet another violation of Syrian sovereignty by the Israeli military.

This latest maneuver adds to growing concerns over Tel Aviv’s increasingly provocative activities near the occupied Golan Heights. The Israeli military has frequently carried out airstrikes on Syrian territory, destroying scores of Syrian military equipment.