Israeli forces raid Quneitra villages, child injured in drone fallout

Israeli forces made two raids into villages in Quneitra province on Monday, the latest destabilising incursions into southwestern Syria.

Local sources report home invasions, agricultural sabotage, and the injury of a child as tensions continue to rise in the area, close to the occupied Golan Heights.

Israeli soldiers raided homes in the village of Rujina, central Quneitra province, with search operations still ongoing at the time of reporting.

Earlier Tuesday, another Israeli unit moved into the village of Al-Ma'laqa in the southern countryside, blocking roads for over an hour before retreating to nearby fortified positions.

"During its incursions, the occupation forces carry out acts of vandalism in agricultural lands, then storm homes and conduct detailed surveys about the residents, their occupations, and sources of livelihood," a source told The New Arab's Arabic edition Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.

“They also search for any weapons that might be in the possession of the residents or for armed individuals with previous ties to Syrian opposition factions."

Israel is attempting to establish a "new reality on the ground" the source said, which follows months of Israeli incursions in Daraa and Quneitra provinces, killing dozens of civilians.

"The occupation forces are trying, through these daily incursions, to impose a new reality in the area and affirm that they are the controlling and governing authority," he said.

While Israeli forces have tried to distribute food and medical aid to gain favour with locals, "most residents continue to reject these inducements", the sources added.

In a separate incident, an eight-year-old boy named Khalil Mohammed Al-Khidr was injured by shrapnel in the village of Al-A'shah after an Israeli drone was shot down. The child was transferred to a UN-affiliated medical centre in the region for treatment.

The Quneitra region, which borders the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, has become increasingly unstable in recent months as Israeli forces expand their operational footprint. Syrian officials have yet to comment publicly on the latest incursions. 

Israeli forces have stepped up incursions in Quneitra and Daraa provinces since the start of their attack on Iran on 13 June, with occasional operations reaching western rural Damascus

These incursions include house demolitions, arbitrary detentions, and the imposition of security checkpoints, under the pretext of searching for weapons.