Israeli military patrols conduct new raids in Syria’s Quneitra countryside

Israeli military forces carried out new ground raids into the southern Syrian countryside of Quneitra on Sunday, in what local media described as the latest violation of Syrian sovereignty. According to the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), the incursions involved multiple patrols entering Syrian territory and establishing a military presence in border areas.

Details of the Patrols and Checkpoint

SANA reported that a two-vehicle Israeli patrol entered the countryside from the Adnaniyah area in northern Quneitra. The unit proceeded to set up a military checkpoint between the villages of Rwihinah and Mushayrifah. A separate Israeli unit advanced into the southern town of al-Rafid, where troops opened random fire into the air. No injuries were reported from the gunfire. An additional patrol consisting of five military vehicles raided the village of Saida al-Hanout in the southern Quneitra countryside.

Pattern of Frequent Incursions

The latest raids bring the total number of Israeli ground incursions into southern Syria to 42 since the beginning of December, according to an Anadolu tally. Most of these operations have targeted central and northern Quneitra. The activities have reportedly included establishing temporary military checkpoints, constructing earthen berms, uprooting thousands of fruit-bearing trees, and damaging agricultural lands and water wells.

Broader Context of Israeli Operations in Syria

Israeli incursions have also extended to the slopes of Jabal al-Sheikh (Mount Hermon) and the surroundings of Beit Jinn, with attempts to establish technical surveillance points in elevated areas overlooking Syrian territory. Syrian government data indicates that since December 2024, Israel has conducted over 1,000 airstrikes on Syria and more than 400 cross-border ground raids into the southern provinces. This activity follows Israel's expansion of its occupation in the Syrian Golan Heights after the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in late 2024, seizing the demilitarized buffer zone in violation of a 1974 agreement.