ISTANBUL

Israeli forces carried out ground incursions into the southern Syrian area of the Quneitra and Daraa countrysides on Saturday, as a small protest in the city of Suwayda featured Israeli flags and images of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported that two vehicles of Israeli forces advanced from Tel Abu Ghithar toward the western outskirts of the village of Sayda al-Hanout in southern Quneitra province. The Israeli forces fired gunshots toward empty agricultural land, apparently to intimidate residents and shepherds, without causing injuries, according to the report.

In neighboring western Daraa province, another Israeli unit made up of five armored vehicles advanced toward the Jamleh Company area, SANA said. The force set up a temporary checkpoint on the Wadi Jamleh Road, conducted limited searches in the area, and later withdrew, as tension spread among residents during its presence.

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

Israeli forces have continued near-daily strikes and ground incursions in Syrian territory, particularly in the southern provinces of Quneitra and Daraa, including detentions, the establishment of checkpoints, and the destruction of farmland.

Israel has occupied most of Syria’s Golan Heights since 1967. Following the ouster of former President Bashar al-Assad on Dec. 8, 2024, Israel declared the collapse of the 1974 disengagement agreement and moved into the Syrian buffer zone.

Syrians say the continued Israeli actions undermine efforts to restore stability and hinder the government’s attempts to attract investment to improve economic conditions.

Separately, videos circulated on social media showing dozens of demonstrators gathered in central Suwayda, raising Israeli flags and displaying images of Netanyahu during a protest organized by supporters of Druze cleric Hikmat al-Hijri under the slogan “To be or not to be.”

The demonstration drew limited attendance despite earlier calls for mass participation. Local figures in Suwayda criticized the display of Israeli symbols, calling it a dangerous deviation that threatens the province’s social and national cohesion.

The protest coincided with renewed calls by some groups for international intervention on behalf of Syria’s Druze community, amid deepening divisions between factions that emphasize national unity and others seeking external backing.

Suwayda has been under a ceasefire since July 2025, following deadly clashes between Druze factions and Bedouin tribes that left hundreds killed and wounded. The truce has been repeatedly violated by al-Hijri-linked groups, including attacks on military positions, while the government has maintained its commitment to the agreement and facilitated civilian evacuations and the entry of humanitarian aid.

Since the fall of Assad’s regime in late 2024, Syria’s new leadership has sought to restore security nationwide, warning that it will not tolerate armed groups operating outside state authority and vowing to reassert control over the country’s entire territory.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio in Istanbul