Israeli forces raid village in Quneitra amid daily violations of Syria’s sovereignty

By Fekry Abdeen and Lina Altawell

ISTANBUL (AA) — The Israeli army staged a new cross-border raid into Syria’s southwestern Quneitra province on Thursday, in the latest violation of the country’s sovereignty, local media reported.

Syria’s state-run Alikhbaria TV said that tanks and bulldozers advanced into the village of Muallaqa in the southern Quneitra countryside.

No further details were provided by the broadcaster.

There was no comment from the Israeli army or Syrian authorities on the raid, but Damascus has repeatedly called for an end to the Israeli violations.

Israeli incursions in southern Syria have become nearly daily in recent weeks and have included arrests and the establishment of temporary checkpoints, fueling public anger.

On Wednesday, Israeli forces fired artillery shells from positions they occupy in the western Tel al-Ahmar area toward eastern Tel al-Ahmar, near the village of Kwdana in southern Quneitra.

Despite the fact that the Syrian government poses no threat, Israeli forces have repeatedly entered Syrian territory and launched airstrikes, killing civilians and destroying Syrian military sites, vehicles, weapons, and ammunition.

Syrian government data shows that since December 2024, Israel has carried out over 1,000 airstrikes on Syria and more than 400 cross-border raids into the southern provinces.

After the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in late 2024, Israel expanded its occupation of the Syrian Golan Heights by seizing the demilitarized buffer zone, a move that violated a 1974 agreement with Syria.