Israeli forces are suspiciously transferring advanced military equipment to Jabal al-Druze in Suwayda to establish an intelligence and surveillance base, while expanding military deployments, incursions and checkpoint restrictions across southern Syria, according to Syrian media and local sources.
According to the Syrian news website Syria 360, dozens of Israeli military helicopters have transported weapons, advanced equipment and technical systems to the area.
The planned facility could serve intelligence-gathering, reconnaissance, surveillance and early-warning purposes, potentially including radar systems. Israeli military personnel have reportedly inspected the site to assess its suitability for construction.
The reports indicate that most of the Israeli military personnel involved in the malicious operation are settlers of Druze origin. Suwayda is predominantly inhabited by members of the Druze community.
Local Syrian sources told Al-Akhbar that Israeli forces are seeking to consolidate their military presence in southern Syria and continue surveying strategic hills in areas affected by incursions in early October, including locations in the western countryside of Damascus.
According to the sources, personnel from the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) informed residents of plans to establish an observation and reconnaissance post at Tal al-Hamriya, in northern Quneitra Governorate.
Israeli forces reportedly warned residents of Taranja to leave within a specified period, citing the proximity of their homes to newly constructed barriers and earthen embankments along the road connecting Taranja and Hadar.
The offensive reportedly involved the destruction of approximately four dunams of land. Local sources said the forces temporarily removed the barriers before gradually reinforcing their presence, with the latest deployment involving four tanks.
Reports from April 2026 also described efforts to reinforce Tal al-Hamriya with logistical equipment, suggesting that the site could become an advanced observation post inside Syrian territory.
Israeli military activity has reportedly extended to the western countryside of Damascus, including movements near abandoned military barracks close to Baqa'sem, on the slopes of Mount Hermon (Jabal al-Sheikh), and reconnaissance drone flights over Damascus and its surroundings lasting up to 12 hours.
Reports also describe Israeli forces advancing toward an agricultural tower near Durbal, in western rural Damascus.
Local sources say the incursions have involved temporary checkpoints, searches of civilians and homes, gunfire and closures of major roads.
Restrictions on movement have left residents, particularly in Quneitra, stranded for hours, disrupting daily life and heightening concerns over civilian security.
The reported deployments and infrastructure preparations have raised concerns about a potentially longer-term Israeli military presence in southern Syria, a strategically sensitive region bordering the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and Jordan.
Israel has expanded its military incursions and airstrikes in Syria since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's government in December 2024.
Israeli forces have moved beyond the occupied Golan Heights into Syrian territory, while airstrikes have targeted military installations and other sites across the country.
The latest reports suggest that Israeli raids in the south may extend beyond temporary incursions.
The developments come as Syria's self-proclaimed president, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, has assured the US-led Western countries that Syria will “normalize relations” with Israel, recognize the regime, and exchange ambassadors.
Authorities led by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) militant group will reportedly hand over the occupied Golan Heights to Israel as part of a looming normalization deal with the illegal entity.
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