Fury is erupting across Syria as Israeli forces continue brazen military incursions, mounting pressure on Damascus to take decisive action. With diplomatic efforts failing to halt the aggression, locals are demanding an end to what they call repeated violations of Syrian sovereignty. 5Pillars’ correspondent on the ground, Kamal Al Shami, reports.
Israeli forces most recently entered villages in the countryside of Syria’s southwestern Quneitra province, deploying armoured vehicles and establishing temporary checkpoints.
According to Syrian state media, troops moved into Ain Ziwan with five military vehicles and later entered the village of al-Ajraf using four vehicles, stopping and searching passersby.
These incursions came amid growing local anger, reflected in protests held a day earlier in the city of al-Salam in Quneitra province, where residents denounced repeated Israeli attacks on civilians and property.
The raids form part of what Syrian officials describe as near-daily Israeli violations of sovereignty in southern Syria. Despite Damascus posing no direct military threat, Israeli airstrikes and ground operations have continued to target Syrian territory, resulting in civilian deaths and the destruction of military sites, vehicles, weapons, and ammunition belonging to the Syrian army.
Syrians in the area say such actions are eroding any sense of security and normalcy.
These developments are taking place against a sensitive political backdrop. While Damascus and Tel Aviv are reportedly engaged in negotiations toward a potential security arrangement, Syria has conditioned any agreement on restoring conditions on the ground to what they were before 8 December, 2024.
Subscribe to our newsletter and stay updated on the latest news and updates from around the Muslim world!
Following the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime on that date, Israel declared the collapse of the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement and moved to occupy the Syrian buffer zone adjacent to the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
Growing Israeli raids
Israeli military activity in Quneitra has drawn increasing scrutiny from local authorities and international observers.
A United Nations fact-finding mission arrived in the province following a separate Israeli raid into the village of Sidat al-Hanout, where troops entered with six military vehicles, searched civilian homes, and erected multiple checkpoints. Syrian state television reported that four homes were searched, and four checkpoints were set up inside the village, with no immediate information released about arrests or casualties.
Quneitra Governorate said the UN visit aimed to document alleged violations linked to Israeli military operations.
“UN fact-finding committee has arrived in Quneitra as part of its mission to document violations committed by the Israeli occupation army against civilians and their property,” the governorate said in a statement posted on its official Telegram channel.
Local officials argue that such documentation is essential as residents report repeated incursions, property damage, and temporary detentions.
Those detentions have become a recurring feature of Israeli operations. Syrian media reported that Israeli forces recently detained two young men at a checkpoint established between the town of Umm Batna and the village of al-Ajraf, before later releasing them without explanation. Residents say even brief detentions contribute to a climate of fear and unpredictability, reinforcing concerns that daily life remains subject to sudden military action.
Fears of escalation are shaped by more lethal Israeli operations elsewhere in southern Syria. In one incident in the village of Beit Jin, Israeli forces reportedly raided the area and opened fire after being confronted by residents, killing at least 13 people.
Syria’s Foreign Ministry described the incident as a “horrific massacre,” stating that women and children were among those killed. A local official, Walid Okasha, said the victims were civilians, including a family and a man who had married the day before.
Israel claimed the Beit Jin operation targeted suspects from Jamaa Islamiya, the Lebanese arm of the Muslim Brotherhood, alleging they were planning attacks into Israel.
Israeli authorities did not provide evidence to support the claim. For many Syrians in Quneitra, the episode underscores fears that routine raids, such as those recently carried out in their villages, could rapidly turn deadly.
According to Syrian government data, since December 2024 Israel has conducted more than 1,000 airstrikes on Syria and over 400 cross-border raids into southern provinces.
Officials warn that continued Israeli aggression is undermining efforts to restore stability, discouraging investment, and further complicating Syria’s already fragile economic recovery.
