The Syrian Future Movement is following with grave concern and condemnation the dangerous escalation of Israeli military activity in the southern Quneitra countryside, specifically in the eastern Tel al-Ahmar area. In recent days, the occupation forces brought in a bulldozer and three trucks loaded with prefabricated rooms, in a systematic move aimed at establishing a new military post that reinforces the Israeli presence deep inside Syrian territory and constitutes a blatant violation of national sovereignty.
The Syrian Future Movement bases its assessment of this dangerous escalation on a careful reading of the field and legal situation, and on continuous monitoring of the escalating Israeli violations since the fall of the Assad regime on December 8, 2014. In this context, the Syrian Future Movement recalls its firm and consistent positions, expressed in its previous statements, which form a fundamental pillar of its vision for the future of Syria: a free and sovereign state that does not accept guardianship or occupation, such as our statement entitled “Israeli Aggression Against Syria,” published on December 10, 2014.
The Syrian Future Movement asserts that the recent events in Tel al-Ahmar al-Sharqi were not spontaneous, but rather part of a systematic Israeli policy that began with the fall of the Assad regime and has escalated rapidly over the past sixteen months.
The following are the key milestones in this escalation:
- Immediate violation of the Disengagement Agreement: On December 8, 2024, with the announcement of the regime’s collapse, Israeli occupation forces crossed the 1974 ceasefire line, occupying the buffer zone and additional areas in the Quneitra and Daraa countryside, in flagrant violation of international agreements.
Since that date, more than 620 Israeli ground incursions into Syrian territory have been documented. - Establishment of nine military bases: Between December 2024 and April 2026, the Israeli occupation army established nine military bases in southern Syria, which the occupation forces use as launching points for incursions and raids on civilian homes.
These bases are located in strategically important military sites, including the Tell al-Hamr base, which allows the occupying forces to monitor most of Quneitra, extending to the Daraa border. Other bases include Jabata al-Khashab, Qurs al-Naml, al-Qahtaniyah, Koudna, Abdeen, Maariyah, and the recently constructed al-Hamidiyah base, built to bolster field control and expand the scope of operations in the region. - Incursions and Arrests: From mid-February 2026 to mid-March 2026, at least 28 Israeli ground incursions into Syrian territory were documented. These incursions targeted the villages of Ain Dhakar, Saida al-Jawlan, Taranga, Jabata al-Khashab, al-Hanout, Tell al-Akhdar, al-Muqraz, and Wadi al-Raqad.
These incursions were accompanied by the establishment of permanent checkpoints, surprise inspection points, and field arrests of at least 17 Syrian citizens, including elderly people and shepherds, who were taken to unknown locations. - Intensified Airstrikes: Since the fall of the former regime, Israel has carried out approximately 500 airstrikes on Syrian territory, targeting former military sites and weapons and ammunition depots, under the pretext of preventing weapons from reaching “hostile entities.”
- A Policy of Gradual Strangulation: Since the beginning of April 2026, Israeli occupation forces have begun closing a number of vital roads in Quneitra, both main and secondary, in a move described by residents as a “gradual strangulation” of their daily lives. This has led to soaring food prices and difficulty in movement, creating a situation similar to that of the occupied West Bank. These actions indicate an Israeli intention to establish new military outposts, as part of the far-right policy led by Netanyahu to pressure Damascus and impose a de facto occupation in southern Syria.
- Direct Targeting of Civilians: In late November 2025, the town of Beit Jinn in the Damascus countryside witnessed a large-scale Israeli incursion, resulting in the deaths of 13 Syrians and injuries to 6 Israeli soldiers in an exchange of fire, in yet another episode of Israeli violations against civilians. In a worrying development on the ground, on Saturday, April 18, 2026, Israeli occupation forces brought in reinforcements, including a bulldozer and three trucks loaded with prefabricated rooms, to the eastern Tel al-Ahmar area in the southern Quneitra countryside. This move has raised concerns among residents about the establishment of a new military post that would bolster the Israeli presence in the area.
The Syrian Future Movement believes these movements come amidst an ongoing escalation around Tel al-Ahmar, where occupation forces have been stationed at the western Tel al-Ahmar since December 2024, using it as a military base.
It should be noted that eastern Tel al-Ahmar is frequently subjected to shelling, in addition to repeated Israeli military patrols and the raising of the occupation flag above it, which reinforces fears of a permanent Israeli presence in the area.
This is in addition to a simultaneous incursion into the northern Quneitra countryside, where occupation forces set up a temporary checkpoint on the Taranga-Mazra’at al-Amal road and searched passersby before withdrawing.
The Syrian Future Movement affirms that these actions are not isolated incidents, but rather part of a daily policy aimed at spreading terror and breaking the will of the population, in addition to depriving them of their natural resources and bulldozing their agricultural lands, especially in the fertile Wadi al-Raqad region.
While the Syrian Future Movement commends the steadfastness of the residents and their attachment to their land, it expresses its full solidarity with them and affirms that their daily struggle is the first line of defense for national sovereignty.
The Syrian Future Movement, while following these dangerous developments with grave concern, directs the following appeals to all national and international parties:
First, to the Syrian Transitional Government:
To submit an urgent official protest to the UN Security Council and the UN Secretary-General, exposing the violations of the Israeli occupation, demanding international monitoring mechanisms for the ceasefire, and the reactivation of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement in a form that guarantees the non-recurrence of these violations.
To immediately appeal to major and friendly countries to stop the ongoing Israeli aggression and prevent the establishment of any military bases.
Deir ez-Zor on Syrian territory.
Strengthening the Syrian military presence as much as possible in the Quneitra and Daraa countryside, while improving monitoring and surveillance capabilities to counter repeated Israeli movements.
Reconsidering the negotiation strategy with Israel and rejecting any agreement that does not include a complete Israeli withdrawal to the pre-December 8, 2024 lines.
Second, to the League of Arab States:
Convening an emergency meeting of Arab foreign ministers to discuss the dangerous Israeli escalation in southern Syria and adopting a unified Arab position that supports Syrian sovereignty and confronts Israeli plans to impose a new reality of occupation.
Activating the mechanisms of the Arab boycott of Israel and pressuring countries that have normalized relations to use their influence to stop the violations.
Third, to the international community and the United Nations:
Immediately and unequivocally condemning the Israeli incursions and considering them a flagrant violation of international law and the UN Charter.
Sending an international fact-finding mission to the region to document Israeli violations and submit a report to the Security Council.
Activating international accountability mechanisms and not being satisfied with mere verbal condemnations, which are no longer effective. Fourth, to the Syrian national forces:
Unify the national stance in the face of Israeli escalation, overcome internal differences, and rally behind clear and non-negotiable demands: full sovereignty over every inch of Syrian land and the rejection of any foreign military presence.
Launch national awareness campaigns highlighting the danger of Israeli actions and supporting the steadfastness of residents in areas adjacent to the front lines.
Fifth, to the Syrian people:
Remain vigilant and aware, and do not be swayed by dubious calls that attempt to downplay the seriousness of the Israeli escalation.
Support the Syrian army in its national mission to protect the borders, and let all active forces unite around clear and non-negotiable demands: liberating every inch of Syrian land from any foreign military presence and ending the Israeli occupation of the Golan Heights.
Donate to support the steadfastness of the people in Quneitra and Daraa through official channels to bolster their resilience in the face of policies of strangulation and oppression.
The Syrian Future Movement concludes its statement by affirming that the Syrian Golan was and will remain occupied Syrian Arab land, and that the rights of Syrians in this blessed land, and in every inch of Syria, are sacred rights that do not expire with time, nor can they be relinquished through compromises or negotiations.
We in the Syrian Future Movement emphasize that any agreement with Israel must be based on the return of the occupied Golan and the guarantee of national sovereignty in accordance with Security Council resolutions and international law. We cannot accept any temporary solutions or security arrangements that perpetuate the occupation or recognize it, even implicitly.
The Syrian Future Movement reiterates its full solidarity with the people of Quneitra and Daraa and the Syrian army soldiers stationed on the front lines, and affirms that their struggle is the struggle of all free Syrians for freedom, dignity, and sovereignty.
Syria, with all its people, will remain defiant against occupation, capable of restoring its rights, no matter how long it takes.
