Israeli army patrols advanced on Tuesday, 9 December, into the surroundings of the towns of Jabah, Khan Arnabeh, and Ain al-Nuriyah in the Quneitra countryside (southern Syria), setting up temporary military checkpoints at the al-Saqqari junction and at the eastern entrances to the area, using military vehicles and troop carriers.
While the eastern checkpoint at Khan Arnabeh was being set up, Israeli soldiers opened fire on civilians who tried to protest the patrol’s presence by throwing stones at it, injuring three people, identified as Hamza al-Dabbak, Mohammad al-Dabbak, and Nasser al-Bakr, according to multiple sources contacted by Enab Baladi.
The Media Relations Office of the Quneitra Media Directorate said that Israeli forces also shot another civilian in the vicinity of Hamidiyah town (in Quneitra province, southern Syria), without further information on his condition.
The Office noted that the Israeli army established three checkpoints around Khan Arnabeh, one of them on the al-Salam highway linking Damascus and Quneitra. The checkpoint’s presence coincided with the passage of a convoy belonging to the Syrian Ministry of Interior that was returning from a mission in Damascus.
The Israeli patrols withdrew after firing on civilians, and the highway was reopened.
After the patrols pulled back, residents of Khan Arnabeh staged a protest in the town to denounce the actions of the Israeli army, according to activist Odai al-Khibi from Khan Arnabeh.
Military bases
The area into which Israeli forces advanced and over which they have established control covers 346 square kilometers, where they have set up nine military bases. Eight of these are in Quneitra, including Mount Hermon Observatory, the Tulul al-Humur heights in the northern countryside, Qurs al-Nafl in Hadar, the forest of Jubata al-Khashab, which includes a helipad for military helicopters, al-Hamidiyah, al-Adnaniyah, Tal Ahmar al-Gharbi in Kudna, and the ruined city of Quneitra, in addition to a base at al-Jazira Dam in the Yarmouk Basin in western Daraa countryside (southern Syria).
Intimidation mixed with inducement
Israeli forces have built a metal gate at the entrance of al-Samdaniyah al-Gharbiya village in the Quneitra countryside, cutting it off from its surroundings.
They have also set up 260 temporary checkpoints and arrested several young men in the area. Some were held for hours before being released, while the number of detainees who have not been released has reached 34.
Enab Baladi has documented three incursions into Quneitra by Israeli settlers, who attempted to establish a settlement inside Syrian territory before being sent back into the occupied Golan by the Israeli army.
Israel has also used attempts at soft outreach with residents, offering food aid that locals have consistently rejected and burned.
Armed clashes with Israeli forces
Most Israeli incursions in southern Syria have passed without any armed confrontation by residents, with two exceptions.
The first was in the area of Koya in the Yarmouk Basin in western Daraa countryside (southern Syria) in March 2025, when a group of young men from the village clashed with Israeli forces that had advanced into the area.
After withdrawing from the village, the Israeli army shelled it with heavy artillery, killing seven people.
The second incident took place in the area of Beit Jinn (in western Damascus countryside, southwestern Syria) last November, where clashes broke out between Israeli forces and young men from the village, injuring six Israeli soldiers. Israeli shelling followed, killing 14 civilians and wounding 24 others.
Israel destabilizes southern Syria through incursions and land grabs
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