Israel carries out military incursion into Syria’s Quneitra in the Golan
Al Jazeera
February 26, 2026
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Israel has carried out a brazen military incursion into Syria’s Quneitra province in the Golan Heights, marking another escalation in its territorial violations of Syrian territory. Local media reported that dozens of Israeli military vehicles entered eastern Tel al-Ahmar near the village of Ain Ziwan, conducting a search operation and abducting a young Syrian man while he tended his sheep. This incursion comes amid a broader pattern of increasing Israeli aggression since the fall of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, with attacks intensifying significantly in 2025, averaging nearly two daily airstrikes or artillery strikes across Syria.
The Golan Heights, recognized by the UN as part of Syria, were occupied by Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War. Despite a 1974 disengagement agreement that established a UN buffer zone, Israel has expanded its presence in recent years, particularly since the Assad regime’s collapse. The incursions have disrupted local communities, with checkpoints and military checkpoints erected in areas like Ain Ziwan and al-Ajraf, deepening tensions.
In a separate development, the Syrian government and Druze factions completed their first prisoner swap in Suwayda since deadly clashes in July. The exchange involved the release of 61
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Originally published on Al Jazeera on 2/26/2026