Zionist Forces Launch Incursion Into Southern Syria Following Security Accord with HTS
Zionist forces have executed a ground incursion in Syria's southwestern province of Quneitra, even as direct negotiations continue between the ruling Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) regime and the occupying entity regarding what officials are calling "a security agreement."
According to reports from the al-Mayadeen television channel, Israeli military vehicles advanced into the towns of Jubata al-Khashab and Ofaniya early on Wednesday. These towns are situated near the Israeli-occupied section of the strategic Golan Heights.
Israeli forces carried out searches and positioned themselves on various rooftops, while drones operated by the regime conducted intensive low-altitude flights overhead.
The development follows a recent report from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which disclosed that Israeli forces had established a temporary checkpoint north of the village of al-Rafid in the same Syrian region, merely two days prior.
The Observatory reported that Israeli forces conducted searches on passersby and detained a young man before retreating to the Tal Ahmar Gharbi base, the location where their offensive was initiated.
A convoy of ten Israeli military vehicles advanced into the outskirts of Ain Ziwan village as reconnaissance aircraft conducted aerial surveillance over the area.
Recent incursions coincide with Israel’s ongoing airstrikes targeting several locations within the Syrian capital, Damascus.
On September 13, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, who claims the presidency of Syria, declared the commencement of negotiations with Israel aimed at restoring the 1974 agreement put in place following the 1973 conflict between the Arab nation and the Israeli government.
In recent months, the Israeli authorities and the HTS regime have been involved in direct negotiations aimed at curbing Tel Aviv’s assertive actions towards the Arab nation and establishing a “security agreement.”
Israel has persistently carried out aggressive actions within Syrian territory following the demise of former President Bashar al-Assad’s administration late last year.
Rights Group Accuses Israel of ‘War Crimes’ in Southern Syria
An international watchdog group has issued a report condemning Israel for actions in southern Syria, which include the forcible displacement of Syrians, the demolition of homes, and restricting access to agricultural lands.
Human Rights Watch has highlighted its findings in the border village of al-Hamadiyah, where construction activities for Israeli military installations are underway.
The recent report has emphasized that these actions constitute war crimes, noting that instead of reacting to an immediate threat, Israeli forces seem to have demolished homes as part of a wider strategy to solidify their military presence.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered his military forces to push deeper into Syrian territory, aiming to seize several strategic locations within the nation.
Israel has expanded its control over Syria by seizing the buffer zone, which acts as a divider between the occupied Golan Heights and the rest of the country. This move is seen as a breach of the 1974 disengagement agreement.
Experts suggest that the perceived inaction by the HTS regime, combined with its movements towards normalizing relations with Tel Aviv, has emboldened Israel to expand its occupation of Syrian territory and increase its frequency of airstrikes in the region.
