Syria Reports Fresh Israeli Incursion in South Amid Rising Tensions
DAMASCUS-Syrian state media reported that Israeli forces carried out a fresh ground incursion into southern Syria on Sunday and shelled farmland near the Golan Heights, a day after United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an end to Israeli actions that he said violated Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
According to Syria’s state news agency SANA, Israeli troops entered the villages of Maariya and Al-Aarda in the Yarmuk Basin in western Daraa province during the early hours of Sunday. The report said the force, accompanied by three military vehicles and a bulldozer, established a checkpoint in Al-Aarda and distributed leaflets warning residents against blocking roads or interfering with military movements.
SANA also reported that Israeli artillery targeted agricultural land near the village of Taranja in neighbouring Quneitra province later on Sunday. No casualties were reported from the shelling.
Israel has not commented on the reported operation.
Israeli forces have maintained an expanded military presence in southern Syria since the overthrow of former Syrian President Bashar Assad in December 2024. Following the collapse of Assad’s government, Israel deployed troops into the United Nations-monitored buffer zone that had separated Israeli and Syrian forces under the 1974 disengagement agreement.
Since then, Israel has conducted repeated air strikes and ground incursions deeper into Syrian territory. Israeli officials have said their forces intend to remain in what they describe as a security zone in southern Syria and are seeking the establishment of a broader demilitarised area along the frontier.
The latest reported incursion came one day after UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, during a visit to Syria, criticised Israeli military activities in the country.
Speaking on Saturday, Guterres said violations of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity were unacceptable and must stop. He added that the situation around the Golan Heights was unacceptable and reaffirmed the United Nations’ position that the Golan Heights are Syrian territory.
During talks with Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa, Guterres reiterated the United Nations’ commitment to Syria’s sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity, according to a UN statement. He also expressed concern over what the organisation described as Israeli violations of the 1974 disengagement agreement.
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani likewise condemned Israel’s continued military presence beyond the 1974 ceasefire line, calling it a direct threat to regional security and demanding an immediate and unconditional withdrawal from Syrian territory.
Israel captured most of the Golan Heights from Syria during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War and later annexed the territory, a move that is not recognised by most of the international community.
Despite continued military tensions, Israel and Syria’s new authorities have held several rounds of direct talks in recent months and have agreed to establish an intelligence-sharing mechanism aimed at reducing security risks along their shared frontier.
Last month, Syrian state media and local officials reported that residents of the village of Abidin in the Yarmuk Basin fled after Israeli artillery fire followed an attempt by villagers to block an Israeli military patrol advancing through the area.
The latest developments underscore the fragile security situation in southern Syria, where diplomatic engagement between the two sides continues alongside recurring military confrontations.
