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Quneitra incursion
An Israeli occupation force penetrated the village of Saida al-Jolan in the Quneitra countryside in southern Syria, in tandem with movements by settler groups attempting to cross the border and stay inside Syrian territory.
A correspondent for 'Syria Now' observed the establishment of an Israeli patrol checkpoint around Saida al-Jolan, alongside UNDOF vehicles passing through the same area.
The incursion came three days after SANA reported that an Israeli force consisting of three military vehicles penetrated into 'Saida al-Jolan' and then headed to the Al-Hanout area, where they stopped two individuals and conducted an investigation with them.
The developments were described as part of expanding Israeli military movements inside the demilitarized zone, as Tel Aviv considers the 1974 disengagement agreement no longer in effect since the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024.
Ro'ad Bashan moves
In parallel with the Saida al-Jolan activity, the Israeli movement Ro'ad Bashan announced organizing activities aimed at establishing a presence inside Syrian territory.
The movement said in a statement on the X platform that several of its activists climbed Mount Hermon and spent a full night in the Bashan area, noting that it had informed the Israeli army of its movements and confirming its aim to impose a 'permanent civilian presence' in those areas.
The Israeli army said it thwarted the attempt, with a spokeswoman stating that a group of Israelis arrived last night at the Mount Hermon area with the aim of crossing the border into Syrian territory.
The spokeswoman added that a military force 'working at the point' prevented the group from crossing and detained its members, before they were transferred to the Israeli police.
Southern Syria stakes
The Al-Jazeera Net account framed the renewed incursions and patrol activity as occurring while the border region with Syria sees expanding Israeli military movements inside the demilitarized zone, tied to Tel Aviv’s view that the 1974 disengagement agreement is no longer in effect.
In a separate analysis, Noon Post argued that Israeli expansion in southern Syria is reproduced through statements attributed to David Ben-Gurion and through current Israeli officials, including Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
Noon Post quoted Smotrich as saying: “This war must end with changing Israel’s borders—in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and Judea and Samaria.”
Noon Post also cited Ben-Gurion’s attributed remark that “The borders of Israel extend to where the last Israeli soldier's boot reaches.”
