Israeli troops have carried out multiple raids against villages in Daraa and Quneitra Governorates on Wednesday, according to Syrian state media. The raid in Daraa targeted the oft-raided village of al-Maraiyah, and involved the detention of a local for unknown reasons.
Locals reported a growing amount of Israeli drones in the area ahead of the raid. The local who was detained by Israeli troops was held for a few hours but ultimately released, apparently without charges. The IDF did not comment on the matter.
In Quneitra the village of Saida al-Golan was briefly invaded, and the IDF also deployed troops into the northern area near Jabata al-Khashab, where troops stopped traffic and questioned locals. It is unclear what they were seeking, but no detentions were ultimately reported.
Israeli troops cross into Quneitra | Image from SOHR
Israel invaded southwestern Syria in December of 2024, virtually immediately after the ouster of the Assad government. They seized effectively the entire UN Disengagement Force (UNDOF) demilitarized zone between Syria and the occupied Golan Heights, and have conducted raids deeper into Syria ever since.
Though Israel has not occupied substantial territory beyond the demilitarized zone, certain towns and villages are raided so regularly, with IDF troops seizing records on land ownership and intermittently establishing road checkpoints. This has many locals fearing that they are becoming a more or less permanent presence in their territory.
Israel and Syria have had some negotiations about this incursion, though the IDF’s position is that they intend to keep the seized demilitarized zone, and have demanded that Syria establish an entire new demilitarized zone between that newly occupied territory and the rest of Syria. The talks have continued but to little effect.
