While Israeli incursions and activities in southern Syria, along with reported harassment of local citizens under the inaction of the Julani administration, have become recurrent over the past year, Syrian sources detailed a recent operation in Quneitra.
These sources stated that Israeli forces, on Monday evening, targeted the outskirts of Quneitra province in southern Syria as part of continued actions in the area since December 2024, resulting in the detention of three Syrian youths.
Syria's Al-Ikhbariya network reported that Israeli forces detained the three Syrian youths from the town of Jbatha al-Khashab in northern Quneitra while they were gathering firewood.
This development occurs even as, on January 6, under US oversight, a communication mechanism was announced between Syria and Israel to coordinate information sharing, ease military tensions, and advance diplomatic and trade opportunities.
According to Syrian sources, Israeli forces have, over the past year, demolished all remaining military barracks and sites from the Bashar al-Assad era along the border up to a depth of 4 kilometers, while establishing nine military bases, including one in Daraa and eight in Quneitra, plus advanced positions on Mount Hermon.
The reports indicate that Israeli criminal actions have extended to residential areas, with 28 homes destroyed in Quneitra, comprising 15 in Hamidiya village, three in Rafid, and 10 in Rawadi.
In addition, 20 homes in Beit Jan village sustained severe damage during a recent Israeli operation.
Israeli forces have also restricted residents' access to nearly 3,900 hectares of pasture and farmland extending along the border to a depth of about 700 meters.
Shifting to the impact on locals, residents in southern Syria have experienced persistent anxiety and fear over the past year.
Israeli forces, through nighttime operations, checkpoint harassment, frequent reconnaissance flights over Syrian airspace, and other activities, have disrupted normal life for Syrian citizens.
Local sources note that Israeli incursions have turned into routine events, occurring unpredictably with gunfire, raids, and closures of main roads.
Israeli troops have established multiple checkpoints on roads, blocking passage for Syrian citizens.
Residents in southern Syria, particularly in Quneitra, at times face hours of delays due to road closures, which interrupt their daily routines and maintain a state of ongoing fear.