A video circulating on social media showing Israeli soldiers raising the Israeli flag in the city of Quneitra (southern Syria) has sparked outrage among Syrians.
The footage shows soldiers from the Israeli army raising the Israeli flag and chanting slogans, reportedly the Israeli national anthem or religious chants.
Mohammed al-Saeed, director of media at Quneitra Governorate, told Enab Baladi that the video being shared online dates back to the past two days, confirming that the Israeli flag was indeed raised in the “Flag Roundabout” area in the governorate.
He explained that the Israeli army took control of this location and closed it off immediately after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government on December 8, 2024. The area lies close to the border strip with the occupied Golan Heights.
Regarding the performance of the Israeli anthem during the flag raising, al-Saeed said it had not been verified whether what was performed was the anthem or chants linked to Israeli soldiers’ religious rituals, as of the time this report was prepared.
This roundabout, referred to as “Assad Square” or the “Flag Roundabout,” is the same location where former president Hafez al-Assad raised the Syrian flag in 1974 after Quneitra was liberated.
Southern Syria continues to witness repeated Israeli incursions, the establishment of military posts, sweeping operations, and troop deployments in the Quneitra countryside.
A Security Agreement?
Syrian Transitional President Ahmed al-Sharaa warned that the Middle East faces a new wave of instability unless a security agreement with Israel is reached to preserve Syria’s sovereignty. He urged Tel Aviv to commit to a serious negotiation track and stop exploiting Syria’s “moment of weakness” to carry out wide-scale attacks.
Speaking at a seminar organized by the Middle East Institute in New York on September 23, attended by hundreds of diplomats, journalists, and business leaders, al-Sharaa said, “We have intensified our diplomatic efforts for dialogue with Israel. We are not the troublemakers. We fear Israel, not the other way around.” He cautioned that ongoing airstrikes and ground incursions are hindering negotiations and threatening stability, according to Agence France-Presse.
Al-Sharaa stressed that Damascus is open to reaching a security agreement but linked it to Israel’s acceptance of UN troop deployment under the 1974 agreement, and the cessation of Israeli air and ground violations.
U.S. Special Envoy for Syria, Thomas Brack, said Syria and Israel are close to concluding a “de-escalation agreement,” under which Israel would halt its attacks while Syria agrees not to move heavy equipment or vehicles near the Israeli border.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on September 23, Brack described the agreement as the first step toward the broader security deal under negotiation between the two countries.
Syria and Israel are holding talks to reach an agreement that Damascus hopes will ensure a halt to Israeli airstrikes and the withdrawal of Israeli forces that have advanced into southern Syria, Reuters reported.
Repeated Incursions
On September 28, an Israeli force comprising 16 military vehicles advanced from Tel Abu Ghaithar toward the town of Saida al-Golan in southern Quneitra countryside. They raided and searched civilian homes before withdrawing shortly after, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).
On September 24, an Israeli army unit raided and searched several homes in the Saida al-Golan village without making arrests.
On September 18, an Israeli force entered Tal al-Ahmar al-Sharqi in Quneitra (southern Syria). Syrian state television al-Ikhbariya reported that Israeli forces began excavation and earthworks in Tal al-Ahmar al-Sharqi after advancing into the vicinity of Kodneh village in Quneitra countryside.
On September 17, a force of more than 15 Israeli military vehicles entered the towns of Jaba, Ofania, and Khan Arnabeh in Quneitra, arresting four young men before withdrawing.
These incursions are part of a broader series of security incidents in southern Syria, most notably an Israeli helicopter landing involving four aircraft southeast of al-Kiswah in Damascus countryside on August 27, without any clashes with Syrian Defense Ministry personnel stationed nearby.
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