Report says Israel builds fortifications along southern Syria border
QUNEITRA, Syria (North Press) – The Israeli military has been working for nearly two years on “New East” project aimed at establishing a system of fortifications along the border area in southern Syria, according to a report published by the Hebrew-language Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper on Sunday.
The newspaper reported that the Israeli military has so far completed about 80 percent of the excavation of trenches extending from the Majdal Shams area in the north to the border triangle with Jordan in the south.
On Aug. 8, local sources told North Press that Israeli forces had carried out an incursion into the vicinity of Samadaniya al-Gharbiya village in the northern countryside of Quneitra, where they bulldozed agricultural land.
The newspaper said the purpose of the trenches is to prevent militias from carrying out an attack on Israeli settlements similar to Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack.
According to the report, the trenches are about 4 meters wide and deep, with earth embankments several meters high built along them. Numerous observation posts equipped with advanced defense systems have also been established on the embankments.
The operations are being carried out by forces from the Golan Brigade, which operates within what Israel calls the “security belt” extending along the Syrian Golan Heights from Mount Hermon to the Jordanian border, with a width ranging from 5 to 12 kilometers, according to the report.
It added that nine military positions have been established, each roughly the size of a company-level military base. The positions are intended for surveillance and monitoring and also serve as launch points for round-the-clock incursions into villages, towns and open areas.
“We no longer define our defensive response according to who the enemy is,” a senior Northern Command officer told the newspaper. “Whether it is Hezbollah, the Syrian army or a jihadist organization, the only question is what capabilities the enemy has and what it can do.”
The report said the military is carrying out operations inside Syria, including in villages around Daraa and Quneitra, adding that the difficulty of distinguishing between civilians and armed fighters could result in harm to civilians.
“The area is a playground for terror organizations, armed groups and militias. From our perspective, any civilian or shepherd moving through the area could be armed and pose a threat.”