Latest 'Israeli' incursion breaches Syrian territorial integrity in Quneitra

On Saturday, Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) units advanced into several towns and villages within Syria’s southwestern Quneitra province, establishing temporary checkpoints and conducting searches of local residents, according to Syrian state media.

The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported that a convoy of 10 IOF vehicles departed from the Tel Ahmar base and proceeded toward the Bariqa–Kudna road, where troops set up a checkpoint. Another group of 10 vehicles reportedly raided the village of Ruwayhina before moving on to Rasm al-Halabi in central Quneitra.

SANA also noted that five 'Israeli' vehicles entered the southern town of Al-Rafid through the Al-Hiran area via the Al-Asha crossing early in the morning, later advancing to the Al-Jala crossing. Additionally, an 'Israeli' patrol supported by two tanks moved from Al-Adnaniyah toward Ruwayhina, with tanks positioned on the outskirts of the village.

After several hours, the IOF withdrew from all the locations they had entered in both central and southern parts of Quneitra, the agency added.

Since the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in late 2024, 'Israel' has expanded its control over the Syrian Golan Heights by seizing the demilitarized buffer zone, an act that violates the 1974 disengagement agreement between the two countries.

Reports also indicate that 'Israel' has conducted hundreds of airstrikes targeting Syrian military sites, including fighter jets, missile systems, and air defense installations.

- History of Quneitra -

On June 10, 1967, the final day of the Six-Day War, the IOF took control of the city of Quneitra. Although Syrian troops briefly recaptured the city during the 1973 Yom Kippur War, 'Israel' quickly regained it during a counter-offensive.

Before withdrawing in June 1974, 'Israel' nearly leveled Quneitra, leaving the city almost entirely destroyed. In the years that followed, Syria declined to rebuild the city and actively discouraged people from resettling in the area, leaving Quneitra largely abandoned.