Israeli forces raid Syria’s Quneitra countryside, open fire

Israeli forces raided an area near the Ruweihina Dam in Syria’s Quneitra countryside on Tuesday evening and opened heavy fire, the SANA news agency reported.

An Israeli force consisting of seven military vehicles moved into the area and “fired intensively into the air to intimidate residents before withdrawing toward its military positions,” the agency said.

Earlier Tuesday, SANA reported that Israeli forces detained three people, including two children, during incursions in Quneitra province.

The developments come despite comments by Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, who said in an interview with Anadolu on Thursday that negotiations with Israel have not reached a dead end but remain extremely difficult due to Israel’s insistence on maintaining a presence on Syrian territory.

Israeli military operations in southern Syria have become nearly daily in recent months, including raids on homes, the establishment of checkpoints, and the detention of civilians, including children and shepherds.

After the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December 2024, Israel declared the 1974 disengagement agreement void and moved into the Syrian buffer zone.

Despite the new Syrian administration not issuing threats against Israel, Israeli forces have carried out airstrikes in Syria since Assad’s removal, killing civilians and destroying military sites, vehicles, and ammunition.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio