Israel has increased its occupation of Syrian territory since the fall of Bashar al-Assad and has carried out numerous raids and bombings.
The latest Israeli incursion, on Tuesday, is another violation of Syrian sovereignty, according to Syrian state news agency SANA, when a Syrian delegation was holding a new round of talks with Israeli counterparts in the French capital, Paris, under the coordination and mediation of the United States.
The talks are expected to continue for the second and final day on Tuesday.
A government source told SANA on Monday that the resumption of these talks reaffirms Syria’s unwavering commitment to restoring its non-negotiable national rights.
Since the fall of longtime Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, Israel has expanded its occupation of Syrian territory beyond the Golan Heights and has carried out numerous raids and bombings in southern Syria.
For months, Israeli forces have made near-daily incursions into southern Syria, particularly in Quneitra Governorate, making arrests, setting up checkpoints, and bulldozing the land, all of which has fueled public anger and unrest.
Despite a reduction in direct military threats, Israeli forces continue to conduct airstrikes that have caused civilian casualties and destroyed Syrian military sites and facilities.
According to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED), Israel has launched more than 600 air, drone and artillery strikes across Syria in the past year, an average of about two strikes a day.
dissolution agreement
Following the fall of President al-Assad, Israel declared the 1974 disengagement agreement – which was made after the 1973 war, in which Syria failed to recapture the occupied Golan Heights – void.
The agreement established protocols for a UN-patrolled buffer zone, which Israel has violated, advancing deeper into Syrian territory.
Citing al-Assad’s flight, Israel says the agreement no longer applies when carrying out airstrikes, ground incursions and reconnaissance flights; setting up checkpoints; and arresting or disappearing Syrians.
Syria has not responded to the attacks.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in late December that Israel was willing to ensure a peaceful border with Syria, and United States President Donald Trump said he was confident Israel would get the support of current Syrian President Ahmed al-Sha’ara, who led a forceful offensive to oust al-Assad in late 2024.
Negotiations between Israel and Syria to reach an agreement on a security agreement have been ongoing for several months, but no agreement or concrete progress has been announced.
Syria does not formally recognize Israel, nor does it have any interest in joining Trump’s Abraham Accords, under which a handful of Arab countries recognize Israel.
Israel’s occupation of the Golan Heights is recognized by Washington, but rejected by the vast majority of the international community.
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