With growing focus on Israel’s resumption of hostilities against the Gaza Strip, the country has continued its military aggression elsewhere in the region as well. In Syria, there are more attacks, and an even bigger ground invasion.
Israel first started invading southern Syria in December, after the Assad government was ousted. Tuesday evening saw the biggest ground force sent into Syrian territory yet in Quneitra Governorate, where roughly 50 armored vehicles from the Israeli Army led the charge into al-Adnaniyah, seizing the town and sweeping through the farmlands in the surrounding area.
Locals reported the vehicles were sweeping the area for hours, and expressed concern that this which would end in their forcible displacement from their homes, as has happened in other villages in recently-occupied parts of southern Syria.
Israeli tanks were also reported further south, in the area around al-Rafid. It is so far unclear what they are doing in the area, but Israeli troops reportedly took over an old military post in the vicinity, which may be related.
Further north, Israel carried out multiple drone strikes against old artillery positioned in Khan Arnabeh. Israeli officials claimed the artillery, which apparently had been abandoned in the area some time ago, “posed a threat” to Israel.
Monday evening, Israel also carried out airstrikes against the Daraa Governorate. The main target was the town of Izra, but some strikes were also reported on the outskirts of Daraa City itself. At least four civilians were killed in these strikes, and 18 others wounded.
The strikes in Daraa too were presented in Israeli reports as targeting old Syrian military installations in the area, though indications are that they hit civilians neighborhoods in both instances.
Though Israel’s focus in Syria is mostly on the south, where they’re actively seizing territory, they also were reported to have carried out two airstrikes in the Homs Govenrorate, further to the north. The attacks hit old army outposts outside the villages of Shinshar and Shamsin. It does not appear there were any casualties in those cases.
