Occupation Forces Intensify Their Incursion Again in Quneitra Countryside, Southern Syria

SadaNews - On Monday evening, Israeli occupation forces executed a third incursion within hours in the countryside of Quneitra, southwestern Syria, shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump renewed his warning to the Israeli government against obstructing the political transition in Syria.

The Syrian official news agency (SANA) reported that an Israeli force comprising 4 military vehicles and 2 tanks penetrated the Al-Hamriya hill located between the town of Hader and the village of Tranja in the northern Quneitra countryside.

On Monday, President Trump called on the Israeli government to refrain from taking any actions that might disrupt the political transition in Syria.

Trump stated in a post on the "Truth Social" platform that his administration is "very pleased" with the performance of the new Syrian president, Ahmad al-Shara.

The U.S. president added, "It is extremely important for Israel to maintain a strong and genuine dialogue with Syria, and for nothing to happen that might interfere with Syria's development into a prosperous state."

In this context, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a phone call with the U.S. president on Monday evening, where the Israeli broadcasting authority stated this was part of U.S. efforts to de-escalate tensions following a series of Israeli incursions in southern Syria.

According to the authority, Washington is working to calm tensions between the two sides after an incident last weekend, where 6 Israeli soldiers were injured by gunfire in Beit Jinn in the Damascus countryside, following the incursion of an Israeli patrol in the town on Friday morning.

Israel later responded with airstrikes on the town's residents, which resulted in the death of 13 people, including women and children, and the injury of about 25 others.

Ongoing Israeli Escalation

During the previous two incursions in the Quneitra countryside on Monday, gunfire targeted civilian homes in the village of Abu Qubais, according to local sources.

In recent weeks, Quneitra has witnessed an escalation by the Israeli occupation army, as residents complain about Israeli incursions into their agricultural lands, which are their only source of livelihood.

During their military operations, Israeli forces have destroyed hundreds of hectares (a hectare equals 10,000 square meters) of forests, detained civilians, and set up military checkpoints to inspect passersby.

In the past months, meetings have been held between Israeli and Syrian officials aimed at reaching security arrangements that would lead to the withdrawal of the Israeli army from the buffer zone it occupied in December 2024.

However, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated at the end of November that Israel is "not on a path to peace with Syria."

Israel continues to carry out ground incursions and aerial strikes inside Syrian territories, targeting civilian and military sites, resulting in casualties and destruction of Syrian army equipment.

Israel has occupied most of the Golan Heights since the June 1967 war and expanded its control following the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad's regime in late 2024.

Source: Syrian Press