Israeli Forces Seize Strategic Sites in Southern Syria

The Israeli military conducted a series of ground incursions into southern Syria between August 2 and August 4, 2026, targeting the Quneitra and Daraa governorates. These operations follow instructions from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to capture strategic sites beyond the 1967 Golan Heights. The military activity included establishing checkpoints along the al-Hiran-al-Rafid Road and in villages such as Al-Samadaniyah al-Gharbiyah, Jubata al-Khashab, and al-Ajraf to search civilians and vehicles.

In Daraa, Israeli forces raided a residence in Wadi al-Ruqqad and deployed tanks that opened fire on agricultural land with heavy machine guns, causing significant property damage. These moves follow a surge in activity in July, during which the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights recorded 64 ground infiltrations. Israel previously declared the collapse of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement after the fall of the Bashar Assad regime in December 2024.

The incursions persisted despite intermittent security discussions between Israel and the ruling Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham regime. The United Nations and several Arab countries denounced the operations as violations of international law and Syrian sovereignty.