Israeli Military Convoy Deploys in Quneitra as Tel Aviv Expands Strategic Foothold in Post-Assad Syria

By Ahora Qadi

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – An Israeli military convoy stationed itself Sunday morning near the governorate building in Quneitra city, along the strategic route connecting it to the town of Al-Hamidiyah in southern Syria, amid growing signs of Tel Aviv’s consolidation of control over the disengagement zone and beyond.

According to Syria TV, the convoy consisted of 14 military vehicles, including three Merkava tanks. While the immediate rationale behind the deployment remains undisclosed, Israeli forces reportedly reinforced their presence throughout the area.

The German Press Agency (DPA) reported that Israeli troops released two young men on Saturday who had been detained during a sudden incursion into central Quneitra’s countryside. The operation is part of a broader pattern of Israeli military activity in the buffer zone that separates Israeli and Syrian-controlled territory.

Tel Aviv Tightens Grip on Southern Syria

Since the collapse of the Assad regime in December 2024 and the disorganized retreat of Syrian government forces from the south, Israel has moved swiftly to expand its military presence. Mere hours after Bashar al-Assad fled Damascus, Israeli authorities announced that their forces had advanced into the UN-monitored disengagement zone, established under the 1974 ceasefire agreement following the Yom Kippur War.

Israel’s activities have not been limited to symbolic presence. Over the past several months, it has fortified at least nine military outposts stretching along the eastern slopes of the occupied Golan Heights and deep into Syrian territory. These developments include the establishment of a “security belt” and open military activity on the flanks of Mount Hermon (Jabal al-Sheikh), further extending Israel’s strategic reach in a region vacated by a retreating Syrian state.

Israel-Turkey Deconfliction Deal Signals Shift in Regional Dynamics

The Israeli troop movements also come against the backdrop of a quiet but consequential diplomatic breakthrough: a preliminary military coordination agreement between Israel and Turkey, brokered by Azerbaijan in Baku.

According to Israel Hayom, both sides agreed to a permanent deconfliction mechanism aimed at avoiding direct confrontation between their forces on Syrian soil. This development reflects the altered geopolitical terrain of post-Assad Syria, where former rivals are recalibrating policies in response to shifting power dynamics and emerging security imperatives.

While the agreement reportedly includes provisions to prevent operational friction, Tel Aviv has reiterated its core demand that southern Syria remain a demilitarized zone. During the Baku meetings, Israeli officials voiced concerns over Turkish military expansion—specifically warning against the establishment of bases near Palmyra, which Israel has deemed a strategic “red line.”