Israel has launched new incursions into southwestern Syria since Wednesday night, first firing artillery toward a village in the northern part of Quneitra Governorate and then, Thursday morning, sending troops in outright.
New checkpoints were established by the IDF, with the first reportedly in Sayda al-Hanout, where they restricted the movement of villagers, and then another in Jabata al-Khashab, further north in Quneitra. Both checkpoints are likely temporary, as Israel tends to establish them, hassle locals for a few hours, then withdraw.
The northern checkpoint appears to have been a more serious problem for locals, as the Israeli troops fired on civilians and news reporters in the nearby village of Ofaniyah. There were no reports of casualties, but it is fairly unusual for a checkpoint to involve shooting at people in the next village over.
IDF troops enter Quneitra Governorate | image from SOHR
In addition to the ground operations in Quneitra, there were reports of increased activity by Israeli warplanes over the neighboring Daraa Governorate. Though drones overhead in Israel-adjacent parts of Syria are not uncommon, the warplanes are an unusual escalation, despite no attacks having yet been reported.
Israel invaded Syria in December of 2024, immediately following the ouster of the Assad government. The territory that Israel has claimed is largely within the demilitarized zone, in Quneitra, though their ground operations continue and often go substantially deeper into Syrian territory, targeting both Daraa and Quneitra as well as the Rif al-Damashq Governorate further north.
Syria and Israel have been in negotiations meant to reduce tensions in the region, though Israel has ruled out withdrawing from the demilitarized zone and are instead demanding Syria created a whole new one adjacent to the old, now-occupied one.
