Syria slams Israel for ‘incursions’ on its territory
Syria condemned Israel’s continued “violations” of Syrian territory on Sunday, according to Syrian state media SANA. It accused Israel of creating a new line of control inside Syria called the “Sufa 53 line.” Israel took over an area of Syrian territory on December 8, 2024, when the Assad regime fell.
The IDF has continued to operate in this area, which runs along part of the 1974 ceasefire line, essentially extending control into a buffer zone that had existed before, but which previously was administered by the Syrian regime and patrolled by the United Nations.
SANA said, “the Syrian Arab Republic on Sunday condemned in the strongest terms the ongoing violations committed by the Israeli occupation against Syrian territory, the latest of which was the completion of work on the so-called ‘Sufa 53 Line,’ in flagrant violation of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement and international law.”
This was one of several recent indications that Syria is increasingly concerned about Israel’s role in the area that the IDF conquered in 2024.
Israel also seized the peak of Mount Hermon. Israeli officials said this will not be returned to Syria. Syrian media frequently accuses Israel of carrying out raids inside Syrian villages and shelling them near the buffer zone.
Almost 300 Israeli ‘incursions’ into Syrian territory in single month
A recent report at Levant24 said there had been more than 1,300 Israeli “incursions,” including 280 in September. Israeli officials over the past year have slammed the Syrian government as “jihadists” and predicted that Israel and Turkey will clash over Syria.
The Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates “said the continued aggressive approach of the Israeli occupation, along with its attacks and field incursions, constitutes a direct threat to regional security and stability and undermines international law,” SANA noted.
“The ministry called on the international community to assume its responsibilities and take effective deterrent measures to put an end to these violations and prevent their recurrence.”
Syria wants to see the international community pressure Israel more on this issue. It would like to see the border area demarcated and also have stability. Israel has demanded that Syria demilitarize the areas in southern Syria near the border. Without Syrian Interior Ministry forces along the border line, there has been low-level chaos since 2024.
This has also led to a vacuum in power. Syria said it detained a Hezbollah cell in the Yarmouk basin near the Golan last week. This is an area near the Jordanian border as well.
Syria appears to believe that rather than coming to an agreement with Damascus, Israel is entrenching in Syria. “Israeli forces resumed excavation west of al-Asha village in southern Quneitra as part of a project launched in mid-2022 inside the 1974 buffer zone.
The works include an eight-meter military road, five-meter berms, trenches, and observation posts toward the Golan Heights,” Syria’s Levant24 noted on October 4. The US had worked on an agreement between Israel and Syria toward the end of 2025 and early 2026.
Israeli, Syrian officials met in Paris this year
On January 6, 2026, the US Department of State said that “under the auspices of the United States, senior Israeli and Syrian officials met in Paris. President Donald J. Trump’s leadership in the Middle East enabled productive discussions, centered on respect for Syria’s sovereignty and stability, Israel’s security, and prosperity for both countries.
The State of Israel and the Syrian Arab Republic (the “Sides”) have reached the following understandings. The statement noted that “the Sides reaffirm their commitment to strive toward achieving lasting security and stability arrangements for both countries.
Both Sides have decided to establish a joint fusion mechanism, a dedicated communication cell, to facilitate immediate and ongoing coordination on their intelligence sharing, military de-escalation, diplomatic engagement, and commercial opportunities under the supervision of the United States.”
The Kingdom of Jordan has also been increasingly concerned and outspoken about Israel’s role in Syria. “Jordan’s King Abdullah II renewed his warning over Israeli escalation in southern Syria in a call with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, affirming Jordan’s support for Syria’s security and sovereignty, and urged a comprehensive de-escalation agreement that guarantees the security and sovereignty of Arab states,” Levant24 noted on October 3. “Jordan hosted the US-mediated Syrian-Israeli talks in Amman in August, and co-signed the 2025 Suwayda roadmap with Damascus and Washington.”
