Israeli forces detain two Syrian men during incursion in Quneitra province

Israeli forces detained two Syrian men during an incursion in Quneitra province in southwestern Syria early Monday, the Syrian Al-Ikhbariya TV reported. The broadcaster said Israeli forces entered the village of Bariqa in the Quneitra countryside and arrested the two men during the raid. There was no immediate comment from Syrian authorities on the incident.

Security agreement efforts

The latest Israeli violation of Syrian sovereignty came despite Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa's remarks that Damascus is serious about reaching a security agreement with Israel. Al-Sharaa said Thursday in an interview with Anadolu that Syria seeks some kind of "security agreement" with Israel that would preserve stability in the region. He added that the talks had not reached a dead end, but were moving with "extreme difficulty" because of Israel's insistence on remaining on Syrian territory.

Occupation of buffer zone

After the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in December 2024, Israel declared the collapse of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement and moved to occupy the buffer zone along the frontier. Despite the new Syrian administration not issuing threats toward Israel, Israeli forces have carried out airstrikes in Syria since Assad's ouster, killing civilians and targeting military sites, equipment and ammunition.

Regional context

The incursion comes amid broader regional tensions following the US-Israeli war on Iran, which began Feb. 28. A two-week US-Iran ceasefire mediated by Pakistan is set to expire on April 22, while a separate 10-day Israel-Lebanon ceasefire remains in effect.