Israeli forces carried out another cross-border incursion into southwestern Syria on Sunday, further escalating tensions in the volatile Quneitra region near the occupied Golan Heights. According to Anadolu, five Israeli military vehicles pushed into a village in the Quneitra countryside in what Syrian authorities described as a direct violation of the nation’s sovereignty.
State-run SANA reported that the convoy entered the town of Saida al-Golan during the early morning hours before pulling back shortly afterward. The outlet also stated that Israeli troops conducted a separate operation on the outskirts of Ma’riya village, located west of Daraa province, indicating a widening pattern of incursions across southern Syria.
Local residents say these incidents are no longer isolated. Over recent weeks, Israeli patrols have increasingly crossed the disengagement line, encroaching on farmland, bulldozing agricultural areas, destroying vast stretches of forest, and detaining civilians. Villagers report that Israeli forces have also set up new military checkpoints deeper inside Syrian territory, raising concerns about a gradual expansion of control.
Government data suggests that Israel’s military activities in Syria intensified dramatically after the collapse of the Bashar al-Assad government in late 2024. Since December 2024 alone, the Israeli army has conducted more than 1,000 airstrikes across Syrian territory and carried out over 400 ground raids in the southern provinces, including Quneitra and Daraa.
Following Assad’s fall, Israel moved swiftly to widen its occupation of the Golan Heights by seizing parts of the demilitarized buffer zone — a step Syrian analysts say openly violates the 1974 Disengagement Agreement, which established limits on military movement around the Golan frontier.
Experts believe the recent incursions may be linked to increased Israeli security operations along the border area as well as broader regional tensions involving Iran-aligned militias stationed in southern Syria. Syrian officials, meanwhile, have condemned the repeated raids and urged the United Nations to intervene to prevent further violations of Syrian sovereignty.
The continued Israeli presence and repeated military advances have left local communities fearful, with many residents warning that the situation could escalate into a larger confrontation if the incursions persist.
