Israeli Forces Detain Syrian Civilian in Quneitra Village Raid

London — Israeli forces detained a Syrian civilian after raiding his home in the village of Saida Al‑Golan in Quneitra province, the Syrian state news agency SANA reported.

Three Israeli military vehicles entered the western part of Saida Al‑Golan on Wednesday, where soldiers searched a house and arrested a resident before withdrawing toward Abu Mazara Farm, according to SANA’s correspondent in Quneitra.

The incident is the latest in a series of Israeli incursions documented by SANA in recent weeks, which have included house searches, arrests, land clearing and shelling. Damascus has repeatedly condemned the operations as violations of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement and has called for Israel’s complete withdrawal from Syrian territory, urging the international community to pressure Israel to withdraw, stating that Israeli measures on Syrian soil have no legal effect.

Israel took control of the UN‑patrolled demilitarized zone after the fall of the Assad regime on 8 December 2024. Senior Israeli officials described the deployment as temporary, intended to prevent cross‑border attacks.

Since then, however, Israel has established a more enduring military presence. In November 2025, the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force reported that Israel had set up ten bases in the area.

From those bases, Israeli troops have conducted near‑daily incursions into Daraa and Quneitra provinces. The operations often go beyond standard patrols: armoured units move through populated areas and erect temporary checkpoints on main roads, according to the Syrian consultancy Karam Shaar Advisory.

At the checkpoints, civilians are stopped, searched and questioned; their phones are examined and, in some cases, biometric data are collected. Israeli soldiers have also raided homes, businesses and schools, and have fenced off farmland and water sources, media reports say.

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