Israel's 10 Syria bases signal shift from temporary to permanent presence
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Israel has expanded from a temporary deployment to a permanent military presence in southern Syria since December 2024, conducting near-daily incursions into Daraa and Quneitra. Troops stop, search, and collect biometric data from civilians at temporary checkpoints. The shift follows the fall of the Assad regime.
Key Facts
- UNDOF told reporters in November 2025 that Israel had set up 10 bases in the demilitarized zone.
- Israeli soldiers carry out near-daily armored patrols through populated areas of Daraa and Quneitra, stopping civilians at temporary checkpoints.
- Israeli forces detained Saddam al-Din, then 17, from farmland near the Golan Heights in April 2024.
- Israel declared the 1974 disengagement agreement void in December 2024 after the Assad regime fell.
- Families of Syrians from Quneitra detained by Israel protest regularly outside UNDOF offices.
The Detention of Saddam al-Din
Ahmad Hassan al-Din, from Jubata al-Khashab in Quneitra district, told DW that Israeli soldiers took his son Saddam from farmland near the Golan Heights, part of Syria occupied by Israel since 1967, in April 2024. Saddam had just turned 17 and had gone to feed animals early in the morning, his father said. Al-Din filmed Israeli soldiers marching his handcuffed and shackled son through fields; the video was verified by France24 open-source investigators and human rights organizations. Al-Din said the soldiers claimed Saddam was trespassing on Israeli territory, although the family held a valid UN permit to work the farmland. Humanitarian organizations later found that Saddam, now 19, is likely held in an Israeli prison, and the Israeli military told DW it would investigate the case but had not responded further by the time of writing.
Israel's Military Expansion
After the Assad regime fell in December 2024, Israel took control of the UN-patrolled demilitarized zone along the Syrian border. Senior Israeli politicians declared the 1974 disengagement agreement void and said troops would remain temporarily to prevent cross-border attacks. In November 2025, UNDOF told reporters Israel had set up 10 bases in the zone. From those bases, Israeli soldiers make near-daily incursions into the provinces of Daraa and Quneitra. The incursions include armored patrols through populated areas and temporary checkpoints on main roads, according to Karam Shaar Advisory.
Checkpoints and Civilian Impact
At the checkpoints, all passing Syrian civilians are stopped, searched, questioned, and have their phones examined, according to Karam Shaar Advisory. In some cases, biometric data is also collected. Israeli soldiers have raided homes, businesses, and schools and fenced off farmland and water sources. Families of Syrians from Quneitra detained by Israel protest regularly outside UNDOF offices.
