Israeli occupation forces carried out a new incursion into northern Quneitra countryside on Sunday, setting up a temporary checkpoint and searching passersby, while continuing to bulldoze agricultural land in the southern countryside as part of work on the so-called “Sufa 53” line.
Israeli forces set up checkpoint in northern Quneitra
SANA’s reporter in Quneitra said that an Israeli force comprising several military vehicles advanced along the road connecting the town of Jubata al-Khashab and the village of Ain al-Bayda, where it established a temporary checkpoint and searched passersby before withdrawing.
The incursion came a day after Israeli occupation forces carried out a similar operation near the al-Kassarat junction in the vicinity of Jbata al-Khashab, setting up a military checkpoint and searching passersby before leaving the area.
Bulldozing operations threaten agricultural land
Meanwhile, Israeli occupation forces continued bulldozing farmland west of al-Hanout Farm in southern Quneitra countryside as part of ongoing work on the so-called “Sufa 53” line, which Syria has condemned as a flagrant violation of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement and relevant international resolutions.
A SANA correspondent said the operations were aimed at constructing an earthen berm across agricultural land belonging to local residents, raising concerns over the potential impact on extensive farmland located west of the barrier.
On October 18, Israeli occupation forces bulldozed approximately 13 dunams of olive groves in the al-Hanout area near the village of Saida and prevented residents from accessing their remaining fields to harvest olives.
Syria condemns Sufa 53 project, demands Israeli withdrawal
The Syrian Foreign Ministry has condemned the continuation of work on the so-called “Sufa 53” line, describing it as a flagrant breach of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement and a clear violation of international legitimacy resolutions.
The ministry reaffirmed Syria’s full sovereignty over its territory and called on the international community to uphold its responsibilities in safeguarding state sovereignty and the inviolability of international borders.
Israel began implementing the so-called “Sufa 53” line within the disengagement zone in Quneitra in mid-2022. Work on the project accelerated and expanded after December 8, 2024, alongside Israeli incursions extending hundreds of meters into parts of the separation zone.
Israeli occupation forces continue to violate the 1974 Disengagement Agreement through repeated incursions into southern Syria, raids on civilian homes, arrests, land bulldozing and shelling attacks.
Syria has repeatedly demanded the complete withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from its territory, stressing that all measures taken by the occupation are null and void and have no legal effect under international law.
Damascus has also urged the international community to fulfill its responsibilities and compel Israel to withdraw fully from southern Syria.
