Syria’s foreign ministry issued a condemnation on Monday regarding Israeli military actions in the southern regions of the country. This announcement comes on the heels of escalating violence in the vicinity of the Golan Heights, which prompted residents to temporarily evacuate their homes.
The unrest originated in the village of Abidin, located in the Yarmuk Basin of Daraa province, where clashes occurred on Sunday. Local residents attempted to block an Israeli patrol’s advance by blocking the road with stones, expressing their opposition to the military presence. The tensions intensified when Israeli forces retaliated with artillery fire, forcing many residents to flee to neighboring villages overnight.
In response to these developments, the Syrian foreign ministry decried what it termed “Israeli attacks,” which included incursions into Quneitra and Daraa provinces and artillery bombardments in the region. The ministry emphasized that such actions represent “a blatant violation of Syrian sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Since the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, Israel has maintained a military presence in a UN-patrolled buffer zone that has historically separated Israeli and Syrian forces along the Golan Heights. This area, now referred to by Israel as a “security zone,” has seen Israeli troops deepen their incursions and conduct bombings aimed at establishing a demilitarized region in southern Syria.
Local officials reported that the confrontations in Abidin marked a significant escalation, with residents first attempting to obstruct the Israeli patrol and then fleeing as the artillery targeting their homes became increasingly aggressive. Following the military’s withdrawal, many residents returned to inspect their homes on Monday morning, with reports of unexploded ordnance being discovered in the area.
The monitoring group Sijil documented that Israeli forces have engaged in approximately 300 operations in Daraa and Quneitra throughout the month, including 70 incursions and 28 raids, sometimes leading to detentions. The Israeli army has stated that its forces “eliminated several armed terrorists” in the southern Syrian security zone during these operations.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz highlighted this month that the country’s military presence in Syria is expected to continue indefinitely, suggesting a long-term strategic presence in the region.
Despite the ongoing hostilities, recent direct talks between Israel and Syria’s new leadership have raised hopes for a potential security agreement. These discussions included plans for an intelligence-sharing mechanism, indicating an effort to establish a more stable environment despite the persistent tensions.
Israel, which captured most of the Golan Heights during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, proceeded to annex the territory—a move that remains largely unrecognized by the international community.
