Israeli forces briefly enter former Syrian military site in Quneitra
QUNEITRA, Syria (North Press) – An Israeli force on Monday briefly entered a former Syrian regime military site in the southern countryside of Quneitra in southern Syria.
Local sources told North Press that the force, consisting of two tanks, entered the area of Tel al-Der’iyat, west of al-Muallaqa village, where the former Syrian regime army had maintained a military position.
The Israeli force moved inside Syrian territory near the hill and remained there for several hours before withdrawing beyond its lines, according to the sources.
Tel al-Der’iyat is located close to the 1974 ceasefire line separating Syrian and Israeli-controlled areas in the Golan Heights. The area has witnessed intermittent movements by Israeli forces, the sources said.
The reported incursion comes amid continued Israeli military activity in Quneitra and other parts of southern Syria.
Israel has repeatedly carried out ground incursions and airstrikes in southern Syria since the fall of the former Syrian regime in December 2024, citing security concerns and efforts to prevent hostile forces from establishing positions near its border.
The 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement established a buffer zone monitored by the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) between Syrian and Israeli forces in the Golan Heights.
Israel captured most of the Golan Heights from Syria during the 1967 war and later annexed the territory in a move not recognized by most of the international community.