Israeli forces carried out a military incursion into Syria’s Quneitra province in the occupied Golan Heights on 26 February 2026, according to Syrian state media.
Syria’s official news agency SANA reported that dozens of Israeli military vehicles crossed into areas near the separation line in Quneitra, including near the villages of Bariqa and Abu Madharah, conducting what it described as a temporary ground operation before withdrawing. No immediate casualties were reported.
The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the operation. Israel has previously conducted cross-border activities in southern Syria targeting what it says are security threats, including Iranian-linked positions.
The Golan Heights, captured by Israel from Syria in 1967 and later annexed in a move not widely recognised internationally, remains a flashpoint. Damascus condemned the latest incursion as a violation of Syrian sovereignty.
Monitoring groups say the latest operation forms part of a broader pattern. Since December 2024, human rights observers have documented hundreds of Israeli ground incursions into southern Syria, particularly in Quneitra and neighbouring Daraa province, ranging from brief patrols to temporary deployments. The operation comes amid heightened regional tensions following the outbreak of the Gaza war, which has seen increased military activity along Israel’s northern front.
