Wednesday, 18/02/2026   
   Beirut 16:56

Israeli Occupation Forces Escalate Incursions into Southern Syria, Raiding Villages and Detaining Civilians

QUNAITRA, SYRIA - DECEMBER 18: The Israeli army carries out a raid on the village of Muallaqa in the rural area of Qunaitra province in southwestern Syria, opening fire on civilians on December 18, 2025. The Israeli unit, which fired on civilians and carried out demolition operations with bulldozers, also constructed new earth berms in the village. (Photo by Bakr Al Kasem/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Israeli occupation forces continued their incursion inside Syrian territory on Monday, entering villages in the southern countryside of Quneitra province, raiding homes, and setting up checkpoints in what Syrian officials describe as ongoing daily violations.

The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported that Zionist troops entered the village of Ain Zivan, searched houses, questioned residents, and established a checkpoint on the outskirts of the village, restricting civilian movement. The forces also entered the village of Sayda Al-Golan and detained a young man, though no details were provided on the timing of the arrest.

Recent weeks have seen an increase in Israeli activity inside Syria, despite repeated assertions from Damascus that it remains committed to the 1974 Disengagement Agreement between the two sides. Israel declared the accord void unilaterally following the fall of former President Bashar Al-Assad’s government on December 8, 2024.

The reported violations have included ground incursions, artillery shelling in the rural areas of Quneitra and Daraa, arrests of civilians, the establishment of checkpoints to search passersby, and the destruction of agricultural land.

The developments come despite the announcement on January 6 of a US-supervised communication mechanism between Syria and Israel aimed at coordinating information exchange, reducing military escalation, and enhancing diplomatic and trade cooperation.

Syrians say the continued Israeli actions are undermining efforts to restore stability and complicating government attempts to attract investment and revive the country’s struggling economy.

Source: Al-Manar Website