Israeli forces escalate Quneitra incursions, violating Syrian sovereignty

Israeli military units carried out new cross-border incursions into the Syrian province of Quneitra on Sunday, further violating the country's territorial integrity, as reported by Syrian official media. The operation involved forces pushing into the northern part of the countryside and setting up a checkpoint near the Ain al-Bayda junction, where they stopped and inspected civilian vehicles.

Expansion of Military Operations

An Israeli unit deployed at the strategic junction and conducted searches on passing cars, as broadcast by the state-run Al-Ikhbariya TV. According to a detailed report from the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), a force comprising three military vehicles advanced deeper into the area, spreading out between the town of Jubata al-Khashab and the villages of Ofaniya and Ain al-Bayda. A separate israeli force was also reported to have staged an incursion near the villages of Umm Batina and al-Ajraf in central Quneitra.

A Pattern of Escalating Tensions

There has been no immediate statement from the Israeli army or official Syrian authorities regarding these specific incidents. However, these events fit into a broader context of intensified israeli operations in the Quneitra region. Local sources have repeatedly complained of Israeli advances into farmland, the destruction of vast forest areas, arrests of residents, and the persistent establishment of military checkpoints.

Regional Context and Broader Violations

The timing of these incursions is critical, following the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in late 2024. Since December of that year, Israeli military actions have included over 1,000 airstrikes inside Syria and more than 400 cross-border raids into its southern provinces, as per Syrian government data. In a significant move that altered the status quo, Israel also expanded its occupation of the Syrian Golan Heights by seizing the demilitarized buffer zone, a direct violation of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement. This ongoing situation presents a complex security challenge on Türkiye's southern doorstep, impacting regional stability.