Over the weekend, Israeli ground troops reentered a number of villages in Syria’s Quneitra Governorate, setting up checkpoints and confronting local residents as they attempt to pass by.
The new offensives began Friday evening, entering the villages of Ayn Baida and Ofania in the northwestern part of the governorate. They also entered al-Hurriyah on Saturday morning.
They also raided the village of al-Asha on Saturday morning, searching through multiple homes before leaving. There is no word of any detentions in any of these operations so far.
Displaced Syrians on Golan Heights frontier
Al-Asha was also the site of an Israeli military operation in mid-August, with troops entered and making off with an estimated 200 sheep, which were taken into the occupied Golan Heights. They have not been returned.
The office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights issued a statement of concern about the “serious violations” involved by Israeli ground troops since they invaded in December and the escalation of violence. There are reportedly ongoing talks between Israel and Syria aimed at reducing tensions between the two nations.
That is likely to be an uphill battle, as Israel has launched more and more attacks on Syria, and Defense Minister Israel Katz has indicated an intention to continue to occupy parts of Syria more or less permanently.
Israel and Syria have been in a state of war for generations, and the talks aren’t a serious effort to end that, but rather are meant to tamp down the level of tensions at the current moment. Even that though is likely to be a tall order with more Israeli incursions happening all the time.
