Residents in Syria’s western Daraa countryside were placed on high alert following repeated Israeli incursions into several villages, prompting concerns of escalating tensions in the region.
Late on Saturday, Israeli forces entered the village of Jumla in the Yarmouk Basin area of Daraa province for the second time in 24 hours.
Activist Mohammad Abu Hashish told The New Arab‘s Arabic language edition that the incursion appeared to be a search operation, possibly for weapons or specific individuals. The previous Israeli incursion into Jumla reportedly lasted several hours before the forces withdrew.
In addition to the activity in Jumla, Abu Hashish reported that Israeli forces had entered the village of Saysoon, targeting a former military site previously controlled by the ousted Syrian regime.
Meanwhile, in the central Quneitra countryside, Israeli troops were also seen in the village of Rasm al-Halabi. There, soldiers entered a former military outpost, carried out excavation operations inside the site, and departed shortly after.
Local sources said the incursions triggered a heightened alert in the nearby city of Tafas, where residents and local factions mobilised in response. Calls for armed resistance echoed through the mosques, prompting fighters to gather in the city square.
The recent incidents follow an earlier incursion on Thursday when Israeli forces moved into Tel al-Ahmar al-Gharbi in Quneitra province. Israeli troops reportedly crossed from the occupied Golan Heights via a previously constructed Israeli route. Israeli reconnaissance aircraft were also seen flying over parts of Daraa and the Yarmouk Basin at the time.
A local resident said Israeli forces had been actively reinforcing several military sites they now occupy, suggesting plans to convert them into permanent bases.
The resident reported signs of establishing logistical infrastructure at these locations, warning that expansion efforts are expected in the coming days.
Satellite images verified by multiple media outlets recently revealed that Israel had built at least six military bases inside the demilitarised buffer zone in the Golan Heights, along with another site under construction inside Syrian territory.
These sites, constructed between December 2024 and February 2025, are located west of Hadar village, west of Jabata al-Khashab, north of al-Hamidyah, Quneitra village, south of Lake Aziz (two sites), and above Tal al-Ahmar.
Despite assurances from Israeli officials that the occupation was temporary, recent statements by Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz confirm that Tel Aviv intends to maintain a permanent presence in the buffer zone.
Katz declared that Israeli forces would remain stationed at Mount Hermon and the security zone “indefinitely”, raising concerns among Syrian residents of a potential land grab.
Locals have reported Israeli encroachment on their land, unauthorised arrests, road closures, and housing raids, intensifying fears that Israel is solidifying its presence on Syrian soil under the guise of security.
“They are building military bases. How is that temporary?” asked Mohammed Muraiwid, mayor of the Israeli-occupied Syrian village of Jabata al-Khashab, highlighting local frustration and anxiety over Israel’s escalating aggression.
