Quneitra:Damascus Israeli forces have extended their military activities in southern Syria by bulldozing farmland to further a military barrier, which the Syrian government claims breaches the 1974 disengagement agreement, as reported by the official SANA news agency.

According to Anadolu Agency – English, the construction work is being conducted west of al-Hanout Farm in the southern Quneitra province. The project involves building an earth berm on privately owned agricultural land as part of the 'Sufa 53' fortification project. The local residents have expressed concerns that this construction might impact the extensive farmland west of the berm.

On October 18, Israeli forces were reported to have bulldozed approximately 13 dunams (1.3 hectares) of olive groves in al-Hanout, near Saida village, further preventing farmers from accessing their fields for the olive harvest. Syria's Foreign Ministry has condemned the project, labeling it a violation of both the disengagement agreement and international resolutions.

The Sufa 53 project includes a military road, trenches, and earth berms, with construction initiated in mid-2022 near Hadr in northern Quneitra. The project has since expanded south, along the separation line with the occupied Syrian Golan Heights.

In a separate incident, Israeli troops entered northern Quneitra on Sunday, establishing a temporary checkpoint between Jubata al-Khashab and Ain al-Bayda. This force, consisting of several military vehicles, stopped and searched individuals before eventually withdrawing. A similar operation occurred near Jubata al-Khashab on the previous day.

Following the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in December 2024, Israel announced the 1974 disengagement agreement as void, seizing control of the demilitarized buffer zone and conducting recurrent incursions into southern Syria.