Israel has occupied three new villages in southern Syria as it escalates its military actions following the downfall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
Israeli forces seized control of Jamlah in Daraa province, as well as Mazraat Beit Jinn and Maghar al-Mir in the Damascus countryside. These villages were taken as part of Israel’s expanding military presence in the region.
The developments come after Syrian President Bashar al-Assad fled to Russia on December 8, following the fall of Damascus to anti-regime groups. The collapse of Assad’s rule was triggered by a rapid offensive by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which captured key cities in just under two weeks.
Seizing on Assad’s retreat, Israel has increased airstrikes against military targets across Syria, further violating the country’s sovereignty. Israel also declared the collapse of the 1974 disengagement agreement with Syria, moving its forces into the demilitarised zone in the Golan Heights—territory Israel has controlled since 1967. This action has been condemned by the United Nations and several Arab nations.
The United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) reports that the buffer zone stretches over 75 kilometers in length, with widths varying from approximately 10 kilometres in the centre to just 200 meters in the southernmost area.
