Israeli Forces Station Equipment at Tel Al-Ahmar in Syria’s Quneitra Governorate

An Israeli force penetrated the Quneitra Governorate in southwestern Syria on Saturday evening and stationed itself in prefabricated rooms it brought on Friday to the eastern Tel al-Ahmar, south of the governorate, according to the Syrian news agency SANA as cited by Al-Jazeera Net.

Al-Jazeera Net reported that SANA said the Israeli force consisted of two tanks, two Hilux pickups, and a Humvee entering the eastern Tel al-Ahmar site.

Al-Jazeera Net

The same report said an Israeli force had previously penetrated on Friday into a hill in the southern sector of Quneitra with three trucks loaded with three prefabricated rooms, along with a crane, a Trex, and two Humvees.

Earlier Saturday, Al-Jazeera Net said an Israeli force composed of several military vehicles penetrated the northern countryside of Quneitra, set up a temporary checkpoint on the Tarnja Road toward the Farms of Hope, and searched pedestrians before later withdrawing.

Lebanon 24 similarly described that Israeli forces continued field movements inside Syrian territory, carrying out a new incursion in Quneitra on Saturday evening.

Lebanon 24 said SANA reported a military force reinforced with tanks and armored vehicles was stationed at the eastern Tel al-Ahmar site and began installing prefabricated rooms it had transported last Friday.

Anadolu Ajansı also described the Friday movement as Israeli forces bringing a bulldozer and three trucks loaded with prefabricated rooms to eastern Tel al-Ahmar in the southern Quneitra countryside.

Alongside the Tel al-Ahmar deployments, multiple outlets described other Israeli field actions in Quneitra that included temporary barriers and searches.

Al-Jazeera Net said earlier Saturday Israeli forces set up a temporary checkpoint on the Tarnja Road toward the Farms of Hope, searched pedestrians, and then withdrew.

Al-Jazeera Net

Lebanon 24 said the Saturday evening incursion coincided with another incursion in northern Quneitra, where Israeli forces temporarily installed a barrier on the Taranja - Mazar al-Amal road and proceeded to search passersby before withdrawing.

The same Lebanon 24 report framed these steps as part of an Israeli strategy to impose a new field reality and establish a demilitarized zone in the south, adding that the United Nations had previously described such moves as a violation of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement.

شبكة رؤية الإخبارية reported that civilian sources in al-Quneitra governorate said Israeli forces transported three prefabricated rooms using military trucks to the eastern Tel al-Ahmar area in Syrian territory on Saturday, April 18, 2026.

That report said the moves sparked concern among residents that the step could be a prelude to establishing a new military site, and it linked the development to repeated on-the-ground movements punctuated by shooting incidents and attacks from the vicinity of the site.

It also said Tel al-Ahmar East had been subjected to frequent shelling and used as a launch point for Israeli patrols moving in the area, relying on the opposite Tel al-Ahmar West, which had been turned into a military base since the fall of the previous regime in January 2024.

In related developments, شبكه رؤية الإخبارية said an Israeli patrol set up, on Friday, a checkpoint at the crossroads near the village of Ras al-Halabi in central Quneitra countryside without announcing reasons, and it said no information had been received about arrests during that checkpoint period.

While Israeli forces were described as moving equipment and installing prefabricated rooms in eastern Tel al-Ahmar, the outlets also tied the actions to Syria’s stated negotiation position with Israel.

“Israeli forces bring a bulldozer and prefabricated rooms to the Quneitra Governorate in southwestern Syria, in a new violation of the sovereignty of the Arab country, despite Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara' in an interview with Anadolu Agency stressing his country's seriousness in obtaining some kind of security agreement with Israel that would maintain regional stability”

Anadolu Ajansı

Al-Jazeera Net said that during an interview with Anadolu Agency, President Ahmad al-Sharaa stated that Syria is serious about reaching some kind of security agreement with Israel that preserves regional stability.

Al-Jazeera Net quoted al-Sharaa saying, "I do not think the negotiations with Israel have reached a dead end, but they are proceeding with great difficulty because of Israel's insistence on presence on Syrian territory."

Lebanon 24 similarly reported that in an Anadolu Agency interview, Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara’ stressed Damascus's seriousness in reaching a security agreement that guarantees regional stability, adding that negotiations are still ongoing but "they are progressing with great difficulty" due to Israel's insistence on remaining inside Syrian territory.

Anadolu Ajansı also placed the Israeli equipment movement alongside al-Sharaa’s interview, repeating his statement that, "We are serious about reaching some kind of security agreement with Israel that preserves regional stability."

Anadolu Ajansı further quoted al-Sharaa saying, "Negotiations with Israel I do not think have reached a dead end, but they are proceeding with great difficulty due to Israel's insistence on remaining on Syrian soil."

Al-Jazeera Net added a broader timeline, stating that since the ouster of the regime of deposed President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, Israel has carried out hundreds of airstrikes on Syrian military sites and deployed forces in a demilitarized zone that had been under UN supervision and separates Israeli and Syrian forces in the Golan Heights.

It also said the United Nations described that deployment as a 'violation' of the disengagement agreement, and it described Israel’s aim to establish a demilitarized zone in the south.

Beyond Saturday’s described movements, SANA and Sada News Agency reported additional Israeli incursions and patrol actions in Quneitra that they linked to ongoing pressure on civilians and the negotiation environment.

SANA said that Israeli occupation forces penetrated at dawn this Friday into the village of Ain Ziwan, located in the southern outskirts of Quneitra, and raided the home of one of its residents.

Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS)

SANA reported that a unit composed of six Hummer-type vehicles advanced from the Tell al-Ahmar area toward the village, where it raided the home of a villager, and it said Israeli forces remained deployed around the site with reasons not yet known.

SANA also said that Thursday another Israeli unit consisting of seven military vehicles penetrated Kassarat Road in the northern outskirts of Quneitra.

Sada News Agency said that on Tuesday the Israeli army infiltrated into several areas of the Quneitra Governorate in southwestern Syria alongside Israeli drone overflights.

Sada News Agency reported that an occupation force moved from western Tel al-Ahmar to the village of Ain al-Zivan and established a temporary checkpoint between the village and the town of Qudna.

It said the movement coincided with the advance of a convoy of occupying soldiers comprising about 100 personnel, departing from western Tel al-Ahmar toward eastern Tel al-Ahmar, in parallel with remotely piloted aircraft overflights.

Sada News Agency added that almost daily Israeli forces infiltrate Syrian lands, notably in the Quneitra region, arrest many residents and establish checkpoints to question passersby, in addition to destroying crops.

The outlets framed the Tel al-Ahmar equipment and checkpoint actions as part of a broader effort to change conditions on the ground in southern Syria, with the United Nations and the 1974 Disengagement Agreement repeatedly invoked.

Lebanon 24 said the steps come as part of an Israeli strategy to impose a new field reality and establish a demilitarized zone in the south, and it said the United Nations has previously described this as a violation of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement.

Haaretz

Al-Jazeera Net said since then Israel has conducted repeated incursions into Syrian territory alongside air strikes, announcing its aim to establish a demilitarized zone in the south of the country.

Al-Jazeera Net also said Damascus demands that Israel respect the disengagement agreement that defines the line separating parts of the Golan Heights occupied by Israel from Syrian territory.

Anadolu Ajansı described the equipment movement as a new violation of the sovereignty of the Arab country, stating it occurred despite Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara' stressing his country's seriousness in obtaining some kind of security agreement with Israel that would maintain regional stability.

Anadolu Ajansı added that Israeli violations in southern Syria have continued almost daily in recent months, including dawn raids and searches of homes, setting up checkpoints, in addition to the detention of civilians including children and shepherds.

It also said that after the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad's regime on December 8, 2024, Israel announced the collapse of the Separation of Forces agreement signed between the two sides since 1974 and occupied the Syrian demilitarized zone.

Sada News Agency said Syrians believe continued Israeli violations limit their ability to regain stability and hinder government efforts to attract investments to improve the economic situation.