Syria reports fresh Israeli incursion, shelling in south

Israeli forces launched a fresh incursion into southern Syria on Sunday, entering villages in the Yarmuk basin and shelling farmland near Quneitra, Syrian state media reported.

The action came a day after UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres visited Syria and demanded Israel end its violations of the country's sovereignty in the Golan Heights.

What happened in the latest Israeli incursion into Syria?

Israeli troops entered the villages of Maariya and Al-Aarda in Daraa province before dawn on Sunday, Syrian state media reported. Soldiers, backed by three military vehicles and a bulldozer, set up a checkpoint and warned residents not to block roads or interfere with their advance.

State news agency SANA said the forces dropped leaflets in towns across the Yarmuk basin, cautioning residents against closing roads or obstructing military vehicles. The same day, SANA reported that Israeli forces fired artillery shells at farmland near Taranja, a village in Quneitra province. No casualties were reported from the shelling.

Why is Israel operating inside southern Syria?

Israel sent troops into the UN-patrolled buffer zone that has separated Israeli and Syrian forces on the Israeli-occupied Golan since 1974, following the overthrow of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. Since then, it has carried out strikes and repeated incursions deeper into Syrian territory.

Israeli officials have said they intend to keep forces stationed in a "security zone" in southern Syria, where they are seeking to establish a broader demilitarized zone. Israel captured most of the Golan from Syria during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War and later annexed the territory it controls, a move not recognized by most of the international community.

What did UN chief Antonio Guterres say about Israel's actions?

Guterres said on Saturday that violations of Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity were unacceptable and must stop. He described the situation around the Golan Heights as totally unacceptable and stated plainly that the Golan Heights are Syrian territory.

During a meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa the same day, Guterres reaffirmed the UN's commitment to Syria's sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity, according to a UN statement. He also expressed deep concern over Israel's violations of the 1974 disengagement agreement.

How has Syria responded to the incursions?

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said on Saturday that Israel's continued military actions and what he called its unlawful occupation of Syrian land beyond the 1974 line pose a direct threat to regional security. He demanded an immediate and unconditional Israeli withdrawal.

Last month, residents of Abidin village in the Yarmuk Basin fled Israeli artillery fire after locals tried to block a road to stop an advancing Israeli patrol, according to state media and a local official. Despite the ongoing tensions, Israel and Syria's new authorities have held several rounds of direct talks and agreed to establish an intelligence-sharing mechanism.