Israeli forces shell farmland in Syria’s Quneitra

ISTANBUL

Israeli forces shelled agricultural land on the outskirts of the town of Jabata al-Khashab in Syria’s northern Quneitra countryside on Thursday, the SANA news agency reported.

SANA said the Israeli army fired two artillery shells at farmlands near the southern town, causing material damage but leaving no casualties.

The attack comes amid a series of Israeli military actions in the province in recent days. Early Wednesday, Israeli army forces raided rural areas of Quneitra and detained a young man during an incursion into Ain al-Qadi farm, according to Syrian television Alikhbaria.

A day earlier, Israeli aircraft sprayed unidentified substances over agricultural land in the Quneitra countryside.

The developments 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 have been carrying out near-daily incursions into Syrian territory, particularly in the Quneitra countryside, detaining civilians, setting up checkpoints, questioning those passing through and destroying farmland.

After the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in late 2024, Israel expanded its occupation of the Syrian Golan Heights by seizing the demilitarized buffer zone, a move that violated the 1974 disengagement agreement.

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.