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With the calm in the war against Iran, the Israeli government is pushing slowly but steadily into Syria.
In recent weeks, we have seen several Israeli temporary incursions into the governorate of Quneitra. But a recent Israeli attempt to advance into Syria's village of Daraa resulted in clashes with civilians and the withdrawal of Israeli forces.
This is a repeated pattern that shows the Israeli limitations in southern Syria.
Since the initial advance of Israeli forces into the security zone between Damascus and Tel Aviv after the fall of the Assad regime and beyond Mount Sheikh (Mount Hermon), Israel stopped its advancement on the ground.
One of the reasons was that Israel advanced into populated areas and clashed with civilians.
Civilians in Daraa's district, Mariyah, clashed with Israeli forces, prompting their withdrawal. A similar scene unfolded months later in Khan Arnabah, where residents again faced down Israeli soldiers, forcing a second retreat.
In the last two days, Israeli forces bypassed Mariyah and advanced on Abdeen via the countryside and established a military checkpoint on a hill overlooking the village. Civilians in Abdeen reacted promptly.
Learning from the Palestinians and Syrians, children and young boys threw stones at Israeli soldiers and created chaos. But when night arrived, Syrian civilians grabbed their light weaponry and began fighting against the Israeli forces.
Israel deployed helicopters and used artillery to suppress small-arms fire from Syrians. However, by morning, Israeli forces had withdrawn from their newly established checkpoint.
Abandoned equipment suggests the withdrawal was unplanned and carried out during a chaotic night.
Following the clashes, Syrian Internal Security Forces deployed to the village of Abdeen, and United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) forces patrolled the village and observed the area.
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Since Dec. 8, 2024, many experts have been quite alarmed about the newly expanded Israeli occupation of southern Syria.
However, as a person who visited the periphery of Israeli military checkpoints, Israeli expansion is not of strategic value, except for the Israeli base in Mount Sheikh.
Israel only advanced into no-man's-land. The moment Israel came into contact with the civilian population, it had to withdraw.
Syrians in Daraa and Quneitra have a strong motivation to fight back against Israel, have access to every form of light weaponry, and are experienced from 14 years of civil war.
Taking into consideration what civilians alone without the Syrian army achieved, a large-scale Israeli ground incursion into Syria is outside the realm of possibility.
The failures of Israel in Gaza and southern Lebanon indicate that any adventure in southern Syria would end in a debacle.
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