[News] Under the radar: 'Israel's' ruthless expansion and Syrians' struggle

[Anti-Imperialist News]

english.almayadeen.net
<https://english.almayadeen.net/articles/features/under-the-radar---israel-s--ruthless-expansion-and-syrians>
Under the radar: 'Israel's' ruthless expansion and Syrians' struggle
Katia Ibrahim
January 1, 2025
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In Quneitra, Israeli forces have taken control of villages, destroyed
homes, and seized vital resources, while the Syrian government remains
unresponsive. The people live in fear, with their land and livelihood under
occupation.
[image: a91d9abd-9748-4677-b8b0-7ec4c81103c3.jpg]

   - The summoning of young men for investigations, evacuation warnings,
   and the imposition of a curfew, are all happening without any reaction from
   Damascus. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Mahdi Rtail)

“Israel” capitalized on the fall of the Syrian regime on the 8th of this
month, launching a wide-scale operation to destroy the qualitative
capabilities of the Syrian Arab Army. The operation targeted missile
weapons stores, manufacturing and development sites, air force facilities,
air defense systems, radar installations, research centers, and naval
combat assets. Israeli warplanes are still freely parading in Syrian
airspace, with Syrian citizens always hearing the sounds of Israeli
reconnaissance planes overhead.

In this scenario, the Syrian Arab Army would have lost the majority of its
weaponry. If reconstituted, it would become a fragile and symbolic army
force, incapable of effectively facing an overwhelming, American-backed
Israeli military that occupies whatever land it wants, and bombs whatever
it wants, whenever it wants.

While the head of the new Syrian administration, Ahmad al-Sharaa, (formerly
Abu Muhammad al-Julani), was busy receiving political and security
delegations from various countries, “Israel” initiated a large-scale ground
incursion into southern Syria. This action was justified by the new
governor of Damascus who stated, "Recently, Israel might have felt afraid,
so it advanced a little and bombed a little. These fears are natural, but
Syria's problem is not with Israel, and we do not wish to tamper with
Israel's security."

In full view of the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) posts, Israeli
forces violated the 1974 agreement and took control of more than 10 Syrian
villages, covering an area of more than 20,000 km²,

Abu Muhammad, a resident of the Quneitra countryside, told *Al Mayadeen
English* what happened:

"The Israeli forces raised their flag on the Quneitra Governorate building,
and destroyed numerous houses in the surrounding countryside, along with
small farms in various towns. They bulldozed lands and farms and uprooted
trees, and erected earthen barriers and fortifications around the Mantara
Dam, Syria’s second-largest dam, cutting off our water supply.
Additionally, they installed extensive surveillance cameras and
communication devices. When civilians protested against their actions, the
Israeli forces fired live ammunition directly at them, resulting in
numerous injuries.

They sought to disarm all the villages, either by destroying heavy
machinery or confiscating individual weapons, which had proliferated after
the Syrian army withdrew from its military positions. Initially, we refused
to hand over weapons except to the Syrian state. However, the Israelis
informed the local dignitaries that they would not allow any armed faction
to operate in the area."

The population is gripped by anxiety and panic following the Israeli
incursions, the summoning of young men for investigations, evacuation
warnings, and the imposition of a curfew, are all happening without any
reaction from Damascus.

The Yarmouk Basin, the area richest in water resources in the Daraa
countryside, came under complete Israeli control. Contrary to reports of an
Israeli withdrawal, the region instead saw the establishment of a military
presence on the heights overlooking the area. This occurred amidst a
significant wave of displacement from the villages in the basin.

The Israeli occupation forces advanced to seize control of the strategic
summit of Mount Hermon and destroyed the crosses where Syrian Christians
traditionally gather to celebrate the Feast of the Transfiguration every
year.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently visited the summit of
Mount Hermon, where he stated, “On this occasion, I would like to thank my
friend, President-elect Donald Trump, for responding to my request to
recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights in 2019. These heights
will forever remain an integral part of Israel. Everyone understands the
great importance of our presence there, on the summit of the Golan, not at
its foot. Our control over the Golan Heights ensures our security, and it
ensures our sovereignty.”

For Netanyahu, the old Zionist dream of controlling the water sources in
northern Palestine, excluding the Litani River, has been realized.

This new situation has altered many equations, from a military perspective,
and indicators suggest that the fate of the newly occupied Syrian
territories will mirror that of the occupied Golan Heights. The land is
highly fertile, and water resources are abundant, which increases the
likelihood of permanent occupation and the construction of more
settlements, provided no significant resistance emerges.

The Israeli occupation will likely disregard international resolutions if
they are issued, as evidenced by United Nations Resolution No. 242 in
November 1967, and Security Council Resolution No. 497, issued unanimously
in 1981. Both resolutions called on "Israel" to annul the annexation of the
Golan Heights, yet “Israel” has ignored them.
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