The key facts

  • Israel is building an earthen berm on private farmland west of the al-Khanut farm in Quneitra province as part of the 'Sufa-53' project
  • On October 18, Israeli forces razed about 13 dunams (1.3 hectares) of olive groves and barred farmers from their fields
  • The Syrian Foreign Ministry demands the project be halted, calling it a violation of the 1974 agreement

Work continues on farmland

Israeli forces continued bulldozer work on agricultural land in southern Syria on Sunday, expanding a military barrier that Damascus condemned as a violation of the 1974 disengagement agreement, the official SANA agency reported. The work is taking place west of the al-Khanut farm in the southern part of Quneitra province: an earthen berm is being built across private farmland as part of the 'Sufa-53' fortification project. Residents fear the works will affect extensive lands west of the berm, the agency reports.

Damage to farmers and Damascus's position

According to SANA, on October 18 Israeli forces razed about 13 dunams (1.3 hectares) of olive groves in the al-Khanut area near the village of Sayda and prevented farmers from reaching the remaining fields to harvest olives. The Syrian Foreign Ministry demanded the project be halted, describing it as a violation of the disengagement agreement and international resolutions.

What is known about the 'Sufa-53' project

The 'Sufa-53' project includes a military road, trenches and earthen berms. Israel began construction in mid-2022 near Hader in northern Quneitra province, and later pushed the project south along the disengagement line with the occupied Syrian Golan Heights.

New raids by Israeli troops

Separately, on Sunday Israeli troops entered northern Quneitra and set up a temporary checkpoint on the road between Jubata al-Khashab and Ain al-Baida, SANA reports. A group of several military vehicles stopped and searched passers-by and then withdrew. According to the agency, the day before, on Saturday, Israeli forces carried out a similar raid near Jubata al-Khashab.

Context and significance

After the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in December 2024, Israel has carried out repeated raids into southern Syria, declaring the 1974 disengagement agreement void and occupying the demilitarized buffer zone, SANA notes. The events primarily affect residents of southern Quneitra who are losing access to their land and harvest, as shown by the case of the olive groves near al-Khanut. So far the only documented source remains the Syrian state agency SANA; the Israeli side is not cited in the report, and there has been no independent verification of these claims.