DAMASCUS: Israeli forces detained two people after raiding homes and damaging shops during an incursion into the town of Jabata al-Khashab in southern Syria, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).

A force of more than nine military vehicles entered the town in the northern countryside of Quneitra on Nov. 13, searched several homes and detained three people, one of whom was subsequently released, SANA reported, citing its correspondent in the province.

Israeli soldiers also broke down the doors of several shops and smashed their storefronts, causing material damage.

The latest raid adds to a series of Israeli military incursions, arrests and attacks reported across southern Syria since the ouster of Bashar Assad in December 2024.

Mounting incursions and civilian casualties

A monthly monitoring report released by the Quneitra Media Directorate and carried by SANA documented 125 Israeli military incursions and the establishment of 55 temporary checkpoints across the province in October.

The report also recorded seven people remaining in Israeli custody following arrests during the month, while 23 others were temporarily detained and subsequently released.

Military operations have also damaged agricultural land and disrupted livelihoods. Israeli forces restricted access to grazing areas, bulldozed farmland and destroyed agricultural infrastructure, including water pumps and livestock facilities.

In the Jabata al-Khashab area, Israeli forces resumed earthworks in the forest, while artillery shelling hit agricultural areas in several parts of Quneitra.

The report also documented the uprooting of approximately 300 olive trees in Saida al-Hanout and areas west of the village, as well as the destruction of agricultural resources and restrictions on farmers and livestock herders.

The operations have taken a toll on rural communities. In Rweihena, residents estimated that Israeli forces had seized between 5,000 and 6,000 dunams of farmland and grazing areas. The restrictions and construction of military outposts have forced herders to use dangerous detours, sharply reducing local dairy production.

Dispute over Israeli military presence

The latest incursion follows other detentions in northern Quneitra. On Oct. 31, Israeli forces detained five civilians during operations along the road between Ofania and Khan Arnabah and in the village of al-Hurriya. Four of those detained were harvesting olives when Israeli troops set up a checkpoint along the road.

On Oct. 23, Israeli forces also detained a man while he was herding sheep near Hader, according to SANA.

The Syrian Network for Human Rights reported documenting at least 453 Israeli ground incursions between December 2024 and Oct. 6, 2026, resulting in at least 69 deaths and 162 cases of arbitrary detention. The UN Human Rights Office separately reported approximately 280 Israeli military incursions during September alone.

Israel has defended its expanded military presence in southern Syria as necessary for its security, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu advocating buffer zones and the retention of strategic positions near the border.

Damascus has repeatedly condemned the operations as violations of Syrian sovereignty and the 1974 Disengagement Agreement, demanding the withdrawal of Israeli forces from its territory.

Syria has also called on the international community to intervene and compel Israel to end its incursions, raids and attacks, stressing that measures imposed by the Israeli authorities on Syrian territory have no legal validity under international law.