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Israeli military carried out ground incursions into southern Syria on Saturday, advancing into the Quneitra and Daraa provinces with armored vehicles and setting up checkpoints, despite a recent agreement aimed at reducing tensions between the two countries.
Two Israeli military vehicles moved from Tel Abu Ghithar toward the village of Sayda al-Hanout in southern Quneitra province, firing shots toward empty agricultural land in what appeared to be an intimidation tactic against local residents and shepherds, the Syrian Arab News Agency reported. No injuries were reported in the incident.
In western Daraa province, five Israeli armored vehicles advanced toward the Jamleh Company area, where military established a temporary checkpoint on Wadi Jamleh Road and conducted searches before withdrawing, according to SANA. The military presence heightened tensions among area residents.
The incursions occurred three weeks after Syria and Israel reached an agreement on January 6 to establish a US-supervised communication mechanism. The arrangement was designed to coordinate information sharing, reduce military escalation, and facilitate diplomatic engagement, including exploration of commercial opportunities.
However, Israeli forces have maintained near-daily strikes and ground operations in Syrian territory, particularly in Quneitra and Daraa provinces. These operations have included detentions, checkpoint establishments, and destruction of agricultural land, according to Syrian sources.
Israel has occupied most of Syria's Golan Heights since capturing the territory in the 1967 Six-Day War. Following the overthrow of former President Bashar al-Assad on December 8, 2024, Israel declared the 1974 disengagement agreement void and moved forces into the demilitarized buffer zone that had separated Israeli and Syrian forces for five decades.
Syrian officials say the continued Israeli military actions undermine stability efforts and deter potential investment needed to improve the country's economic conditions.
In a separate development, dozens of demonstrators gathered in central Suwayda displaying Israeli flags and images of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a protest organized by supporters of Druze cleric Hikmat al-Hijri. The event, held under the slogan "To be or not to be," drew limited attendance despite earlier calls for mass participation, according to videos circulated on social media.
Local figures in Suwayda condemned the display of Israeli symbols, characterizing it as a dangerous departure from the province's social and national unity. The protest coincided with renewed appeals by some groups for international intervention on behalf of Syria's Druze community, exposing divisions between factions emphasizing national unity and those seeking external support.
Suwayda province, located in southern Syria with a predominantly Druze population, has operated under a ceasefire since July 2025 following violent clashes between Druze factions and Bedouin tribes that killed and wounded hundreds. Groups linked to al-Hijri have repeatedly violated the truce through attacks on military positions, while Syrian authorities say they have maintained their commitment to the agreement and facilitated civilian evacuations and humanitarian aid deliveries.
Since Assad's removal from power in late 2024, Syria's new government has worked to restore security nationwide, warning it will not tolerate armed groups operating outside state control and pledging to reassert authority over the entire country.
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