Southern Syria has witnessed a sharp escalation in Israeli military activity, coinciding with Israel’s ongoing campaign against Iran.
The incursions have transformed parts of Syrian territory into corridors for intercepted Iranian drones and missiles as fears grow that Syria may become Israel's next primary target if it emerges victorious in the conflict.
Youssef Al-Musleh, editorial director of the Ahrar Houran Gathering Network, told The New Arab's Arabic edition Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that Israeli forces have stepped up incursions in Quneitra and Daraa provinces since the start of the Iran offensive on 13 June, with occasional operations reaching western rural Damascus.
In Beit Jinn, Israeli troops reportedly assassinated one individual and arrested others. These incursions include house demolitions, arbitrary detentions, and the imposition of security checkpoints, particularly in areas like Al-Hamidiyah, under the pretext of searching for weapons or fugitives.
According to Al-Musleh, the operations aim to neutralise perceived threats and disarm the population, while simultaneously building a database of influential or potentially cooperative local figures through interrogations.
Israeli airstrikes targeting Iranian drones over Syrian territory have also caused casualties and property damage.
One drone intercepted near the Jordanian border town of Nasib injured a woman seriously, while another crashed into a home in Safita, Tartus, killing a resident. Similar incidents in Daraa, Suweida, and Quneitra have damaged homes and sparked fires.
In a notable development, Israeli forces have reportedly taken control of Tel Ahmar Sharqi, raising the Israeli flag and preparing it as a new base adjacent to their existing Tel Ahmar Gharbi site near the town of Kodna.
According to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, roads leading to Kodna are being cut off with earthen berms. These points join over ten new military sites established since the fall of the Assad regime on 8 December, including a helicopter pad in Jubatha and major installations near the Mantara dam and the destroyed Quneitra city post.
Mohammed Abu Hashish, a local activist in Quneitra, said Israel was taking advantage of the summer months before winter storms cut off access in Mount Hermon. Heavy equipment is being deployed around the clock to establish a large Israeli presence overlooking Syrian and Lebanese territory.
Israel reportedly captured the Hermon observatory immediately after Assad's ouster and built a helicopter base nearby.
Though the 1974 disengagement agreement between Israel and Syria established a narrow demilitarised buffer zone monitored by the UN force UNDOF, Israeli engineering works and military expansion now appear to extend beyond the agreement’s original scope.
A senior Israeli official told Axios that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s goal is to negotiate a series of agreements, starting with a revised disengagement deal and culminating in a peace accord.
Israeli media reports suggest Israel seeks to triple the size of the demilitarised zone to over 600 square kilometres, barring Syrian military presence south of Damascus and granting Israel full freedom of movement.
However, Rashid Hourani of the Jusoor Centre for Studies cast doubt on these plans.
Speaking to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, he cited recent meetings between Syrian officials and UNDOF, reaffirming Syria’s commitment to the 1974 agreement. Hourani said the U.S. position diverges from Israel’s, and Washington may pressure Tel Aviv to withdraw post-Iran war.
He warned that Syria's military absence could allow Iran to reconstitute proxy networks, but dismissed the likelihood of further Israeli expansion, citing Israel’s weakened morale from the Gaza ground war and Syria’s new "zero problems" foreign policy stance.