Israeli forces continue violations in the Yarmouk Basin of Daraa’s western countryside, where residents say repeated incursions, artillery shelling, and live fire terrorize civilians and disrupt daily life, while negatively impacting agriculture, the area’s primary source of income.
The villages of Abidin, Maariyah, and Jamlah experience frequent incursions by Israeli military vehicles supported by tanks. Residents report that troops entered residential neighborhoods, conducted house searches, and operated under the surveillance of unmanned aerial vehicles.
According to local residents, the operations have also included temporary military checkpoints, questioning of passersby, and the use of illumination flares at night. They say these measures have restricted movement and prompted many families to remain indoors after dark.
Speaking to SANA, Muwaffaq Mahmoud, head of the Abidin and Maariyah Municipality, said repeated transgressions have created fear among residents, particularly women and children. He added the operations disrupt development projects and affected daily activities, including travel to workplaces, farms, and access to essential services.
Agriculture Faces Growing Challenges
Residents also report increasing damage to the agricultural sector. They say Israeli forces have fired artillery shells and live ammunition near cultivated farmland, with recent fires destroying wheat and barley fields in the villages of Masritiyah and Saisoun, a tactic previously employed by the Assad regime.
Farmers, livestock breeders, and beekeepers also report difficulties accessing agricultural land in the valley. They say restrictions prevent them from tending crops, grazing livestock, and maintaining beehives, resulting in losses to vegetable production and other seasonal crops.
Residents say the continued restrictions place additional financial pressure on families depending on agriculture as their primary source of income. They warn prolonged disruptions could have lasting consequences for the region’s agricultural sector.
Residents Await Information on Detainees
Mahanna al-Baridi, a resident of Jamlah, told SANA an Israeli patrol kidnapped three civilians from the village in early October last year: Muhammad Mahanna al-Baridi, Mahmoud Mazeed al-Baridi, and Muhammad Turki al-Samouri. He said their whereabouts remain unknown.
Syria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates condemned the Israeli violations, describing them as breaches of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement and of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The ministry renewed its call for the UN and the international community to take measures to halt the incursions and press for a complete Israeli withdrawal from southern Syria.
Residents of the Yarmouk Basin say they remain committed to staying on their land despite the ongoing security situation and its impact on daily life and agricultural production. Local officials continue to call for greater international attention to conditions in the area and the challenges facing its communities.
