Hoda Matar Dec 03, 2025

QUNEITRA, SYRIA—In what has become a regular occurrence in southwest Syria, Israeli tanks and troops stormed the Quneitra countryside on Monday, taking up positions in the village of Saida Al-Hanout. As drones flew overhead, Israeli military units set up a temporary checkpoint and searched civilians before eventually withdrawing.

Over the past year, Israeli forces have established nine military posts in southern Syria; constructed military installations less than one kilometer from villages; demolished at least 12 buildings in al-Hamidiya; razed over 45 hectares of the Jubata al-Khashab forest; and seized thousands of dunams of agricultural land, cutting off access to farmers’ livelihoods. Local officials told Drop Site News that, in total, Israel has illegally seized between 600 and 800 square kilometers of southern Syrian territory through more than 200 incursions.