This photo shows a general view of Mount Hermon (background) overlooking apple and cherry orchards surrounding Lake Ram near the Druze village of Majdal Shams in the Israel-annexed Golan Heights on Sept. 25, 2026. (Photo by Jalaa Marey / AFP)
BEIRUT — Five Israeli military vehicles on Tuesday carried out a new incursion toward the Syrian village of Zbayda, in the Quneitra countryside, as students were heading to school, sparking fear among residents, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported. No clashes with civilians were reported, according to the same source.
The incident comes as Israeli movements and incursions have continued in the Quneitra and Deraa countryside. Quneitra is a city located on the Golan Heights in southwestern Syria, near the part of the plateau occupied by Israel.
The day before, an Israeli military force also entered the villages of Aarida and Maariya, in the Yarmouk Basin region in the western outskirts of Deraa, where military movements had been reported, SOHR added.
On Monday, the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs "strongly" condemned, in a statement, "the Israeli aggressions," describing them as "a flagrant violation of Syria's sovereignty and the integrity of its territory." The condemnation came a day after tensions rose in areas surrounding the Golan Heights, prompting residents to temporarily flee the area, according to local and official sources.
Since a coalition led by Islamists took power in January 2025, Israel has carried out repeated incursions and bombings in southern Syria, saying it seeks to establish a demilitarized zone. On Sunday, Israeli forces entered the village of Abdine in western Deraa province, where residents tried to block a patrol from advancing. Israel responded with artillery fire.
