DAMASCUS — Israeli forces carried out ground incursions into southern Syrian territory in the Quneitra and Daraa countrysides on Saturday, January 31, 2026, according to reports from the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) and local sources, continuing a pattern of military activity that has persisted since the collapse of the 1974 disengagement agreement following the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.
In Quneitra province, SANA reported that two Israeli military vehicles advanced from Tel Abu Ghithar toward the western outskirts of Sayda al-Hanout village. The force fired gunshots into empty agricultural land, reportedly to intimidate local residents and shepherds. No casualties or material damage were reported.
In neighboring western Daraa province, a larger Israeli unit consisting of five armored vehicles moved toward the Jamleh Company area. The force established a temporary checkpoint on Wadi Jamleh Road, conducted limited searches in the vicinity, and subsequently withdrew. The brief presence of Israeli troops caused heightened tension among residents, though no confrontations occurred.
The incursions took place despite a January 6, 2026, agreement between Syria and Israel — facilitated through U.S. mediation — to establish a communication mechanism aimed at sharing information, reducing military escalation, and exploring limited diplomatic and commercial opportunities. Syrian officials have repeatedly accused Israel of violating the spirit of that understanding through near-daily airstrikes, ground operations, detentions, checkpoint establishments, and destruction of farmland in southern Syria.
Since the ouster of Assad on December 8, 2024, Israel has maintained a military presence in the formerly demilitarized buffer zone in the Golan Heights and has conducted hundreds of operations inside Syrian territory. Israeli authorities justify these actions as necessary to prevent the reconstitution of hostile armed groups and to secure Israel’s northern border following the regime change.
Syrian government spokespersons and local residents in Quneitra and Daraa have condemned the operations as violations of sovereignty that undermine efforts to restore stability, attract investment, and rebuild the war-torn economy. “These repeated incursions create fear among civilians, destroy agricultural land, and hinder reconstruction,” a Syrian Foreign Ministry statement said earlier this month.
Separately, videos circulated widely on social media on Saturday showing dozens of demonstrators in central Suwayda city raising Israeli flags and displaying images of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a protest organized by supporters of Druze cleric Hikmat al-Hijri under the slogan “To be or not to be.”
The demonstration drew limited attendance despite earlier online calls for mass participation. Local Druze figures and community leaders in Suwayda criticized the display of Israeli symbols, describing it as a dangerous and provocative act that threatens the province’s social fabric and national cohesion.
The protest coincided with renewed calls by some Druze factions for international protection or intervention on behalf of the community, amid deepening divisions between groups advocating national unity under the new Syrian government and others seeking external guarantees amid security concerns.
Suwayda province has been under a fragile ceasefire since July 2025, following deadly clashes between Druze factions and Bedouin tribes that left hundreds killed and wounded. The truce has been repeatedly violated by groups linked to al-Hijri, including attacks on military positions, while the Syrian government has reiterated its commitment to the agreement and facilitated civilian evacuations and humanitarian aid deliveries.
Since the fall of the Assad regime, Syria’s transitional leadership has prioritized restoring security nationwide, warning that it will not tolerate armed groups operating outside state authority and vowing to reassert control over the entire country.
No immediate comment was issued by the Israeli military or government regarding Saturday’s ground operations in southern Syria. The incidents underscore the fragile security environment in the region following the regime change, with ongoing concerns about escalation between Israel, Syria, and various local and external actors.
