Israeli Forces Raid Syrian Villages and Destroy Farmland
Israeli military forces raided villages in Syria's Quneitra province, detaining a resident and destroying agricultural land to establish a defensive line of control.
The Israel Defense Forces conducted a series of raids in the Quneitra Governorate of southwest Syria on Wednesday, entering the villages of Saida Al-Jolan and al-Samandiyah. During the operation in Saida Al-Jolan, military vehicles raided a home and detained a resident. In al-Samandiyah, troops searched multiple homes but reported no detentions.
Following the raids, Israeli forces shelled agricultural land in Saida Al-Jolan and targeted farmland near Kodna with heavy gunfire. No casualties or property damage were reported from the shelling. The military is also utilizing bulldozers to destroy forests, crops, and olive groves across western Quneitra. These actions aim to establish a military line of control and a defensive trench for the occupied Golan Heights, effectively separating local farmers from their land.
These operations are part of a broader pattern of incursions in the Daraa and Quneitra provinces. The United Nations Disengagement Observer Force reported that Israel has established 10 military bases within the UN-patrolled demilitarized zone, which Israel took control of after the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024. While Israel describes the deployment as a temporary measure to prevent cross-border attacks, the Government of Syria maintains that these operations violate the 1974 Disengagement Agreement and has called for a full Israeli withdrawal.
