ISTANBUL

An Israeli force advanced on Monday into southern Syria’s Quneitra province, in the latest violation of the Arab country’s sovereignty.

Syria Alikhbaria TV said that Israeli forces moved into the village of Al-Samadaniyah al-Sharqiya in the Quneitra countryside, searching several houses in the area.

The raid came despite an agreement reached by Syria and Israel on Jan. 6 to establish a US-supervised communication mechanism aimed at coordinating information sharing, reducing military escalation, engaging diplomatically and exploring trade opportunities.

Israeli forces, however, have continued to target Syrian territory at an almost daily pace, carrying out ground incursions, particularly in the Quneitra and Daraa countryside in southern Syria, detaining civilians, setting up checkpoints to search and question passersby, and damaging agricultural land.

Israel has occupied most of Syria’s Golan Heights since 1967 and, following the ouster of the Bashar al-Assad regime on Dec. 8, 2024, announced the collapse of the 1974 disengagement agreement and moved to occupy the Syrian buffer zone.

Syrians say the continued Israeli violations are undermining efforts to restore stability and hindering government attempts to attract investment to improve the country’s economic conditions.

​​​​​​​*Writing by Rania Abushamala in Istanbul.