Syria condemns Israeli 'Sofa 53' project in Golan buffer zone

Syria's Foreign Ministry on Sunday strongly condemned Israeli excavation and construction work near the separation line in the occupied Golan Heights, describing the project known as "Sofa 53" as a "flagrant breach" of the 1974 disengagement agreement and a direct threat to regional stability.

Violation of disengagement accord

In an official statement issued from Damascus, the ministry denounced the resumption of excavations west of al-Asha village in southern Quneitra province, noting that Israeli forces have advanced between 300 and 1,000 meters beyond the ceasefire line in recent months. "The continuation of the Israeli occupation's aggressive approach, accompanied by attacks and incursions on the ground, poses a direct threat to regional security and stability and undermines international law," the ministry warned, calling on the international community to take deterrent measures to halt such practices.

The ministry reaffirmed Syria's sovereign right over all its territory under international law and relevant UN resolutions, stressing that Israel's continued presence in the buffer zone violates the 1974 agreement. Syrian authorities maintain that such construction activities undermine decades-old arrangements designed to prevent direct military confrontation between the two states.

'Sofa 53' military infrastructure

According to Syria's Al-Ikhbariya television channel, the "Sofa 53" project — also referred to as the "Great Storm" — involves the construction of an eight-meter-wide military road flanked by earth berms reaching approximately five meters in height. Israeli forces began work on the initiative in mid-2022 near Hader in northern Quneitra before extending the route through multiple villages including Jabata al-Khashab, al-Hamidiyah, and Bir Ajam, with the road continuing south toward the tri-border area where Syrian, Jordanian, and Israeli boundaries meet.

As part of the ongoing construction, the Israeli army has established observation posts and military positions along the route adjacent to the ceasefire line, effectively creating a fortified corridor through the buffer zone. Local residents previously told Anadolu Agency that the project has rendered thousands of dunams of agricultural land unsuitable for farming and grazing while disrupting natural water flows and permanently altering the rural landscape of Quneitra province.

Post-Assad escalation

Military construction has accelerated significantly since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime on December 8, 2024, with Israeli forces expanding their presence throughout the Golan buffer zone and nearby strategic positions. Damascus continues to demand the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from occupied areas and maintains its commitment to the 1974 disengagement accord, while Israeli officials claim their movements are driven solely by security considerations amid the shifting political landscape in Syria.