Israel Expands Military Operations and Buffer Zones in Southern Syria

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) intensified military operations in southern Syria between June 27 and June 29, 2026, involving ground incursions, artillery shelling, and the killing of several individuals. The military reported killing two armed militants on June 28 near the security fence of the occupied Golan Heights, though local officials in Hader described the deceased as unknown individuals in a pickup truck.

Concurrent with these killings, Israeli troops advanced into the Yarmouk Basin in Daraa province. In the town of Abdin, residents resisted the incursion by blocking roads and throwing stones, prompting Israeli forces to respond with warning shots and artillery rounds that destroyed a home and forced hundreds of civilians to flee. Other raids were reported in the villages of Jamla and Maariya, where armored vehicles searched civilian homes.

These actions follow Israel's December 2024 seizure of a 235-square-kilometer UN-mandated buffer zone and the subsequent declaration that the 1974 Disengagement Agreement is void. Defense Minister Israel Katz affirmed that Israel intends to maintain troops in these security zones indefinitely to protect Israeli personnel and the Druze community in Suweida.

Syrian interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa and the Syrian government condemned the incursions as flagrant violations of sovereignty. Similar condemnations were issued by Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and the Gulf Cooperation Council. Meanwhile, US-mediated security talks between Israel and Syria in France have reportedly stalled.