Arab News | Israeli forces detain three during latest incursion in southern Syria

QUNEITRA: Israeli forces detained three people during an incursion into northern Quneitra countryside on Saturday, according to Syria’s state news agency SANA, as Damascus renewed calls for international action to halt Israeli operations on its territory.

A force comprising several military vehicles advanced to the al-Kassarat intersection near Jbata al-Khashab, where troops established a checkpoint and searched passersby, SANA reported, citing its correspondent in Quneitra.

Another Israeli force entered an area west of Taranja village and detained three people before later releasing them, the report said.

The latest incursion followed a series of incidents reported on Friday, when Israeli forces detained a man who was herding sheep near the town of Hader in northern Quneitra. Israeli forces also fired several artillery rounds at the outskirts of al-Hamidiyah in the north and Bir Ajam Forest in the south. No injuries were reported.

Syria has repeatedly accused Israel of violating the 1974 Disengagement Agreement through incursions, raids on civilian homes, detentions, land leveling and shelling in the country’s south.

Damascus maintains that Israeli measures on Syrian territory are null and void under international law and has called on the international community to pressure Israel to withdraw its forces from southern Syria.

Damascus appeals to UN

The latest incidents came as Syria renewed its appeal for international protection against Israeli attacks, with its permanent representative to the United Nations, Ibrahim Olabi, telling the UN General Assembly on Friday that Israeli actions were undermining the country’s sovereignty and security.

In remarks reported by SANA, Olabi said Israeli operations extended beyond incursions and violations in southern Syria to airstrikes on sites inside the country. He noted that strikes had occurred on the same day International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi visited Syria to discuss the country’s nuclear file.

Olabi said Syria was pursuing transparent cooperation with the IAEA and working to resolve outstanding nuclear and chemical weapons issues inherited from the ousted government. He also called on the international community to uphold international law and support Syria’s efforts to restore stability and rebuild relations with international institutions.

Sweida tensions

Syria has also accused Israel of seeking to undermine stability in Sweida, a predominantly Druze governorate in the country’s south, following deadly sectarian clashes there in July 2025.

In a statement reported by SANA on Oct. 15, a Syrian government official said the Druze community was an inseparable part of the country’s national fabric and rejected attempts to politicize the community or use it in Israeli propaganda and election campaigns.

The official accused Israel of playing a deliberate role in destabilizing Sweida by arming an outlawed militia, alleging that the move was intended to provoke chaos and provide a pretext for wider military intervention.

The statement said Israeli bombardment had prevented the Syrian government from intervening to stop clashes between Druze and Bedouin communities in July 2025, adding that the bombardment was halted through US mediation.

Damascus said it was working with the United States and Jordan to implement a trilateral roadmap for Sweida’s reintegration, with guarantees for residents’ rights, security and stability.

The government called on Washington, regional countries and the wider international community to pressure Israel to implement the 1974 Disengagement Agreement and refrain from interfering in Syria’s internal affairs.

The repeated incidents in Quneitra and the diplomatic appeals at the United Nations underscore the continuing challenges facing Syria’s new leadership as it seeks to restore state authority, stabilize the country and reestablish international cooperation following the ouster of Bashar Assad in December 2024.