Israeli troops storm school, raid homes in Quneitra

School raid in Quneitra

Israeli forces stormed a school and raided homes in the southern Syrian village of Al-Samadaniyah al-Gharbiyah on Saturday, state media reported, marking the latest incursion into territory Damascus says is occupied in violation of a 1974 disengagement agreement.

Al-Ikhbariya TV said a patrol of 14 military vehicles entered the village. Soldiers forced open the school’s gate and entered the grounds, though the report provided no details on casualties or arrests. Israeli troops also set up a temporary checkpoint earlier Saturday in northern Quneitra while another unit advanced toward Wadi al-Raqad in western Daraa, according to the broadcaster.

Buffer zone violations

Israeli engineering units continued building fortifications near Saida al-Hanout in southern Quneitra on Saturday. Since the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in December 2024, Israel has expanded its military presence in the buffer zone between Syria and the occupied Golan Heights — advancing into southern Syria despite the 1974 Separation of Forces Agreement.

Damascus has repeatedly demanded the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Syrian territory, saying the incursions violate the country’s sovereignty and the disengagement accord. Israeli forces have carried out repeated incursions in Quneitra and Daraa, setting up military checkpoints, searching homes, detaining civilians and bulldozing agricultural land.