Residents of the multiple towns in the Yarmouk Basin, in the western Daraa countryside, in southern Syria, protested the presence of Israeli occupation forces in the area, local sources told Al Mayadeen.

Locals demanded the withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from the area, specifically the al-Jazeera barracks, on Friday. Demonstrators demanded an immediate halt to Israeli incursions into Syrian territory, calling on the international community to intensify efforts and exert pressure on the Israeli regime to ensure compliance with international laws and sovereignty.

Meanwhile, Israeli occupation forces stationed in the barracks fired their weapons into the air to disperse protesters near the site. At least one man, Maher Muhammad al-Hussein, was injured due to direct Israeli gunfire in the village of Maaria.

Elders protest Israeli occupation of Quneitra 

Sources had previously told Al Mayadeen that Israeli forces were raiding, detaining residents, and arbitrarily searching homes in southern Quneitra and the western Daraa countryside. These actions have become a cause of widespread panic among civilians without a clear response from the current Syrian regime. 

Moreover, elders of clans residing in the buffer zone east of the Golan Heights, in the Quneitra province, issued a statement demanding Israeli occupation forces withdraw beyond the buffer zone. 

Razing areas, constructing roads 

Sources also revealed that Israeli occupation forces are advancing toward the Al-Shahar Forest and the Al-Khashab Nature Reserve in northern Quneitra, while other forces are advancing into the nearby towns of Taranja and Ufaniya. 

Moreover, occupation forces are razing agricultural lands and nature reserves to construct roads connecting Quneitra to Mount Hermon. 

Additionally, a mechanized group of 30 Israeli soldiers, supported by bulldozers and armored vehicles,  advanced into a military point west of al-Rafid town in the southern Quneitra countryside. These forces bulldozed structures and uprooted trees, destroying military fortifications in the area before withdrawing.

So far, the Israeli regime has occupied around 500 km2 of Syrian territory, demolishing and razing Syrian military bases and other assets on the slopes of Mount Hermon, Quneitra, and Daraa. 

Additionally, Israeli forces have expanded their incursion into southern Syria, advancing eastward from the town of Sayda, reaching three significant water bodies in the area, including Sheikh Hussein, Sahm al-Golan Dam, and al-Bakar al-Gharbi.

Read more: Israeli army preparing for a long stay in Syria: Israeli media