Israeli forces launch twin raids into Syria’s Quneitra countryside

By Laith Al-jnaidi and Rania Abu Shamala

DAMASCUS/ISTANBUL (AA) – Israeli army forces staged a new military incursion into Quneitra in southwestern Syria on Tuesday, in the latest violation of the country’s sovereignty.

Four military vehicles advanced into the village of al-Mushrifah in the Quneitra countryside, the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported.

The cross-border raid came shortly after three military vehicles moved into the village of al-Samadaniyah al-Sharqiyah in southern Syria.

Damascus has repeatedly condemned Israel’s ongoing violations of its sovereignty, reaffirming its adherence to the 1974 Disengagement Agreement signed between the two countries – an agreement Israel declared null after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in late 2024.

Israeli incursions in Quneitra have recently intensified, with locals complaining of Tel Aviv’s advances into their farmland as well as the destruction of hundreds of acres of forests, arrests of residents, and the establishment of military checkpoints.

Although the current Damascus administration poses no threat to Israel, the Israeli army has repeatedly crossed into Syrian territory, carrying out airstrikes that killed civilians and destroyed military positions, vehicles, weapons, and ammunition belonging to the Syrian army.

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa earlier said that the Israeli army has conducted more than 1,000 airstrikes and over 400 incursions since the overthrow of the Assad regime on Dec. 8, 2024.