Israeli forces launched their deepest ground incursion into southwestern Syria this week, reportedly reaching 14 kilometers from the occupied Golan Heights before withdrawing, local sources said Wednesday.
Israeli troops parachuted into the village of Tal al-Mal and a former military outpost in northern Daraa province on Monday, destroying facilities and excavating sites before leaving Tuesday morning, according to residents. They also blocked a key road linking the towns of Mashara and Al-Tiha in Quneitra province.
The incursion came hours after Israel carried out airstrikes on military sites near the port city of Tartus in northwestern Syria.
Israel has conducted frequent airstrikes in Syria and began ground incursions into the demilitarized zone separating the Golan Heights from the rest of Syria following the fall of Bashar Assad’s regime in December 2024.
Israeli officials have warned Syrian forces to leave Quneitra, Daraa, and Suweida provinces while portraying themselves as protectors of Syria’s Druze, Alawi, and Kurdish minorities. Analysts say Israel appears to be positioning itself to influence the future of the fractured country.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar defended the incursion, saying Tuesday that the presence of Islamist groups near Israel’s borders posed a serious threat. “Israel’s safety is more important than Syria’s territorial integrity,” he said.
At an Arab League summit the same day, Syrian interim President Ahmed Al-Sharaa called for immediate international pressure on Israel to withdraw. “This hostile expansion is not only a violation of Syrian sovereignty but also a direct threat to regional security and peace,” he said.
