State media say Israel deployed two tanks and four military vehicles into Jabata al-Khashab in Quneitra and set up a checkpoint toward Ain al-Bayda, prompting Damascus to decry the move as a breach of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement. Both Syrian and Israeli accounts of recent activity are contested and independent verification is limited. The US is mediating de-escalation talks, with a fifth round expected, and Syrian officials report President Ahmed al-Sharaa will visit Washington to discuss reconstruction and counter‑ISIL cooperation.
Israel Establishes Checkpoint in Syria’s Quneitra After Reported Incursion, Damascus Says
State media say Israel deployed two tanks and four military vehicles into Jabata al-Khashab in Quneitra and set up a checkpoint toward Ain al-Bayda, prompting Damascus to decry the move as a breach of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement. Both Syrian and Israeli accounts of recent activity are contested and independent verification is limited. The US is mediating de-escalation talks, with a fifth round expected, and Syrian officials report President Ahmed al-Sharaa will visit Washington to discuss reconstruction and counter‑ISIL cooperation.
20:12, 05.11.2025Conflict
Israel establishes checkpoint in Syria’s Quneitra after reported incursion
State news agency SANA reported that on Wednesday two tanks and four military vehicles entered the town of Jabata al-Khashab in the Quneitra countryside and established a military post on the road toward the village of Ain al-Bayda.
Damascus did not immediately respond to independent requests for comment, but Syrian authorities and state media have repeatedly accused Israel of violating Syrian sovereignty and of failing to respect the 1974 Disengagement Agreement that followed the 1973 Arab–Israeli war. Syrian allegations include air strikes, ground infiltrations, reconnaissance flights, the establishment of checkpoints and detentions.
Israeli officials have argued that the terms of the 1974 agreement no longer reflect current conditions; both sides’ accounts of recent incidents are contested and independent verification of the latest movements was not available at the time of reporting.
Local outlets such as Enab Baladi report frequent incursions into villages across Quneitra, which Syrian sources say has heightened tensions along the deconfliction line.
The United States has engaged diplomatically to try to stabilise the area and restore the buffer arrangements. Tom Barrack, a US special envoy, said both parties are expected to participate in a fifth round of de-escalation talks. Syrian officials also report that President Ahmed al-Sharaa will visit Washington to discuss reconstruction and potential cooperation against ISIL.
Note: Reporting on the ground is fluid. Claims from Syrian and Israeli sources are disputed and remain subject to independent confirmation.