The key facts

  • Israeli troops entered the village of Taranja in the northern countryside of Quneitra province and searched a house, Syrian state TV Alikhbariah reported
  • On Saturday, two Syrians working in olive groves were detained near Taranja; they were released on Sunday (SANA)
  • The Syrian Foreign Ministry called the operations a 'blatant violation' of sovereignty and urged the international community to respond

Raid in Taranja

Israeli forces late Monday evening entered a village in southern Syria and searched a house, with illumination flares fired over the area, Syrian state television reported. According to the Alikhbariah channel, Israeli troops advanced into the village of Taranja in the northern countryside of Quneitra province. The incursion came amid repeated Israeli military operations in the area.

Detentions and Damascus's reaction

On Saturday, according to the Syrian state agency SANA, Israeli forces detained two Syrians near Taranja while they were working in olive groves; on Sunday they were released. On Sunday, the Syrian Foreign Ministry condemned the escalation of Israeli incursions into Quneitra province and neighboring Daraa, along with increased activity of helicopters, reconnaissance aircraft and combat aviation over the south of the country. The ministry called the operations a 'blatant violation' of Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity, warning that the ongoing incursions threaten security and stability and hinder reconstruction efforts. The Foreign Ministry urged the international community to take measures to stop the violations and to force Israel to comply with international law and relevant UN resolutions.

Context

Israeli forces have repeatedly carried out incursions into southern Syria since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in December 2024, when Israel declared the 1974 disengagement agreement invalid and occupied the Syrian buffer zone.