Israeli military activity escalates in Syria's Yarmouk Basin

Military activity has escalated in southern Syria, specifically within the Yarmouk Basin in the western Daraa countryside. On Monday morning, artillery shells and machine-gun fire targeted the Abdeen and Raqad valleys, as well as the outskirts of Jamla. Israeli forces also reportedly fired from positions near the 1974 disengagement line toward Abdeen.

These strikes follow a five-day period of varied Israeli military movements in the region. Previous incidents included incursions into Abdeen for house searches and phone confiscations, as well as a sweep in the Raqad valley involving military vehicles that resulted in the arrest of a local shepherd. Additionally, Israeli forces reportedly established a temporary checkpoint near Ras al-Halabi in the Quneitra countryside.

The ongoing tension involves repeated military movements near the 1974 Disengagement Agreement line, which was designed to separate forces and establish a buffer zone monitored by the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF). Damascus has maintained its commitment to the 1974 agreement and has called for an end to these military activities, while UN reports have previously noted violations of the agreement within the buffer zone.