Southern Quneitra has witnessed renewed Israeli military incursions into Syrian territory, amidst calls from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for enhanced security arrangements with Syria. These developments follow a period of heightened tensions and escalating violations along the border.
Netanyahu stated that his government is currently focused on “maintaining a degree of distance” in its dealings with Syria, emphasizing the importance of establishing arrangements to prevent friction between the two sides. He argued that Syria shares a similar interest with Israel in achieving security arrangements that benefit both parties.
The Prime Minister asserted Israel’s determination to prevent a repeat of the events of October 7, 2023, referring to the Hamas attack, and stressed that this commitment extends to all borders, including the Syrian front. He mentioned his recent visit to the buffer zone to assess the situation firsthand.
On the ground, reports indicate increased Israeli military activity within Syrian territory. Yesterday, a new incursion was reported in the southern Quneitra countryside. According to reports, an Israeli force consisting of three military vehicles entered the area west of the village of Saida al-Hanout, establishing a checkpoint between the village and the al-Mughatra farm, before continuing their movements in the region.
This incident follows a similar event just a day prior, where an Israeli force reportedly entered the town of Buraiga, also located in the southern Quneitra countryside. Further reports detailed another incursion on the same evening, with an Israeli force entering the village of al-Samdaniya al-Gharbiya, consisting of five military vehicles and a tank, before withdrawing without establishing a permanent presence.
Additionally, another Israeli force reportedly moved from the al-Burj point in the destroyed Quneitra area, with four vehicles advancing towards al-Samdaniya al-Sharqiya and continuing towards Tell Krum Jabba without stopping. These incursions have occurred in the context of a visit by Netanyahu and senior Israeli security officials to the buffer zone in southern Syria, a visit that Damascus has strongly condemned.
