Israeli forces expand occupation in southern Syria, advance near Damascus

The Israeli military has advanced further into southern Syria, extending its occupation of the Golan Heights and surrounding areas.

Israeli forces have now moved within 20 kilometers (12.43 miles) of the Syrian capital, Damascus, reaching the Bid’ah area near the Mezzeh Military Airport and northeast of Mount Hermon.

Israel’s 15-kilometer-long ‘control zone’ in Syria

According to reports from the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, the Israeli army plans to establish a 15-kilometer-long control zone within Syrian territory, with an intelligence influence area extending up to 60 kilometers.

Engineering units are working to construct a road linking the occupied Golan Heights with the Dir’iyah military post and other military sites in the region. This construction is accompanied by the use of bulldozers and tanks to clear land for military purposes.

Local sources also reported a new Israeli incursion into the Tulul al-Hamr area in the northern countryside of Quneitra, marking an extension of Israeli military activity in the region.

Israel expands its invasion of Syrian territory

Since the fall of the 61-year-old Ba’ath regime in Syria, Israel has progressively expanded its territorial control.

The latest military movements have taken Israeli forces deeper into southern Syria, including strategic areas such as Mount Sheikh, Tulul al-Hamr Heights, and Dir’iyah Hill near the town of al-Mu’allaqa. These areas are located near the outskirts of Damascus, where Israeli forces have been establishing military positions and carrying out land-leveling operations, citing security and stability as the rationale for their actions.

However, residents and critics argue that these operations are part of an ongoing occupation, with significant damage to agricultural lands. In particular, the use of bulldozers and tanks has rendered large areas of farmland in the Dir’iyah region uninhabitable.

Residents expresses concern

On Monday, Jan. 13, one local resident, Abdu al-Qaryan, expressed his concerns, stating that Israel is exploiting security claims as a pretext for territorial expansion.

Al-Qaryan said Israel’s “occupation forces” are entering these lands as occupiers, flattening agricultural land and establishing military positions under the guise of maintaining stability.

In the rural areas of Quneitra, Israeli forces have advanced into the Dir’iyah region, accompanied by bulldozers and tanks, reportedly destroying agricultural land and preparing the ground for new military infrastructure.

“Almost the entire Quneitra province is now under Israeli occupation,” added al-Qaryan.

The Israeli occupation forces, as you can see, have started entering the entire border areas, such as Mount Sheikh, the Tulul al-Hamr heights, and the Dir’iyah hill in the town of al-Mu’allaqa, under the pretext of maintaining their stability and security.

However, these occupation forces are entering the lands as occupiers, leveling the Dir’iyah lands, setting up military positions on Mount Sheikh and at the Tulul al-Hamr heights. These are the enemy’s tanks, and the occupation forces are entering the lands in the village of al-Mu’allaqa and the Dir’iyah hill, leveling the land under the pretext of maintaining the country’s stability and security.

They have occupied the lands of Dir’iyah, Tulul al-Hamr, and Mount Sheikh, and almost the entire Quneitra province is now under Israeli occupation.

A new government, led by Commander Mohammed Joulani and Ahmad al-Shar’aa, has been established to prevent, curb, and restrain the Israeli occupation forces from entering Syrian lands.

Resident Abdu al-Qaryan,

Abu Ahmed, another resident from the area, has expressed growing concerns over the Israeli military’s actions. “We, as the people of this town, tell them to be ashamed and fear trampling on this land,” Ahmed stated, calling for international attention to the ongoing situation.

Israel has taken advantage of weakening Syrian state

In recent weeks, Israel’s military operations have intensified, causing damage in several civilian areas. Israeli tanks have caused significant harm to agricultural lands, electrical poles, and roads in towns such as al-Asha, al-Hiran, Abu Gara, and Mazraat al-Hiran in Quneitra province. Additionally, trees along the roadsides have been felled as part of the ongoing military operations.

Israeli forces have also expanded their control over the towns of Jomla and Maaraba in the Yarmouk Basin, near the city of Daraa.

The escalation of Israeli occupation follows the collapse of the Ba’ath regime in December 2024.

Israel has taken advantage of the weakening Syrian state to expand its presence in the Golan Heights, a region it has occupied since 1967.

The 1974 Forces Withdrawal Agreement, which established a demilitarized zone between Israel and Syria, is increasingly being challenged as Israeli military operations extend further into Syrian territory.