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Israel Imposes 'Undeclared Buffer Zone' in Southern Syria

UNDOF soldiers in Saidah village in the southern Quneitra countryside. (SANA)
UNDOF soldiers in Saidah village in the southern Quneitra countryside. (SANA)
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Israel Imposes 'Undeclared Buffer Zone' in Southern Syria

UNDOF soldiers in Saidah village in the southern Quneitra countryside. (SANA)
UNDOF soldiers in Saidah village in the southern Quneitra countryside. (SANA)

Israeli forces continued their nearly daily violations of Syria territory on Monday when an Israeli artillery shell landed near the village of al-Musayritiyah in the western Daraa countryside, sparking a fire in a wheat field before residents managed to extinguish it, reported Syria’s state news agency SANA.

The village is located in the Yarmouk Basin area close to the border with the occupied Syrian Golan. It has witnessed repeated Israeli incursions, including home and farm searches and the detention of young men.

On Sunday, four Israeli military vehicles reached the entrance of the town of Maariya in the Yarmouk Basin, while two others seized the road connecting the village of Saidah in the Golan to al-Basali in the eastern Quneitra countryside.

SANA reported the Israeli forces set up two checkpoints and searched pedestrians and vehicles before withdrawing from the area.

All the measures are seen as efforts to impose an unofficial buffer zone, said sources in Damascus.

Israel continues to violate the 1974 Disengagement Agreement through shelling, ground incursions, attacks on civilians, raids, detentions and land leveling.

Syria consistently demands the end of the Israeli occupation of its territory, stating that all Israeli measures in southern Syria are null and void under international law. Damascus also calls on the international community to assume its responsibilities, deter the Israeli practices and compel a full withdrawal from southern Syria.

Since the ouster of Bashar al-Assad's regime in December 2024, Israeli forces have seized 665 kilometers of Syrian territory, set up nine military positions and continue to carry out land incursions into Syria, notably in the eastern and northern Quneitra countryside and Yarmouk Basin.

Syrian and international reports said Israel has set up a security zone, similar to the “yellow line” in Gaza, to bar military activity in the area and strip the Quneitra and Daraa regions of heavy weapons. It aims to control areas leading to southern Damascus with the aim of creating “strategic depth” to protect Galilee and the Golan.

Researcher at the Jusoor Center for Studies Rashid Hourani said Israel wants to create the buffer zone through razing agricultural areas in Quneitra, western Daraa countryside, and Yarmouk Basin especially.

It wants to destroy infrastructure and military positions by repeatedly targeting them, thereby preventing citizens from accessing their agricultural lands, he told Asharq Al-Awsat.

It also wants to impose restrictions on their movement as Israeli forces have carried out frequent interrogations of the locals and set up temporary checkpoints in the areas, he added.

Israeli forces have destroyed civilian facilities and historic sites, including 15 houses in the village of al-Hamidiye. They blew up a historic mosque, a museum building, and other heritage sites.

Israel has increased its incursions into Syria as it escalated its operations in Lebanon and as Lebanese and Israeli official prepare to hold a third round of negotiations in Washington to end the war.

The Syrian-Israeli negotiations have meanwhile stalled after a series of intense talks last year that “have yet to reach tangible results on the ground,” said Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani in previous remarks.

Hourani told Asharq Al-Awsat Israel’s failure to achieve its objectives in the war on Iran has reflected in the stalling of negotiations with Syria, which he said is because of Israel’s “erratic position on how to handle the Syrian file.”

He also noted the pressure it is coming under due to its involvement in Lebanon and Gaza.

Observers have speculated that Israel will impose military and security measures in southern Syrian similar to the ones it has in place in Gaza and southern Lebanon where it is expanding its field control and weakening the local authorities by imposing long-term changes on the ground.

At the same time, Israel is expanding its settlement projects in the Golan.

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Arab World

Egypt Banks on Domestic Defense Manufacturing to Curb Military Spending

A military vehicle manufactured in Egypt. (Egyptian Ministry of Military Production)
A military vehicle manufactured in Egypt. (Egyptian Ministry of Military Production)
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Egypt Banks on Domestic Defense Manufacturing to Curb Military Spending

A military vehicle manufactured in Egypt. (Egyptian Ministry of Military Production)
A military vehicle manufactured in Egypt. (Egyptian Ministry of Military Production)

Egypt is increasingly relying on domestic defense manufacturing to curb military spending, expanding local production of armored vehicles, drones and air defense systems while continuing to diversify its foreign arms suppliers and pursue joint-production partnerships with other countries.

The strategy comes as the country posted the lowest military spending among Arab states last year, with defense expenditure accounting for 0.61% of gross domestic product, according to figures released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

Military experts told Asharq Al-Awsat that local arms production helps ease pressure on foreign-currency reserves required for imports while ensuring a more secure supply chain. They explained that modern warfare is characterized by the heavy consumption of weapons and ammunition, making uninterrupted access to military supplies a strategic necessity.

Egypt’s armed forces have pursued a comprehensive modernization program in recent years, including diversifying sources of weaponry and forging partnerships with major defense-producing countries, according to Egypt’s State Information Service.

The government is also pushing to expand reliance on locally manufactured defense products.

Minister of State for Military Production Salah Mostafa Gomblat said the current phase focuses on localizing advanced industrial technologies to improve production efficiency and enhance the competitiveness of Egyptian-made products.

He added that the strategy includes forging new partnerships with the private sector to reduce import costs and support the national economy.

According to SIPRI, Egypt recorded the lowest military spending among Arab countries in 2025 even as global military expenditure rose 2.9% from the previous year to $2.887 trillion. Algeria recorded the highest military-spending among Arab countries, at 8.83% of GDP.

Egypt has recently showcased a range of domestically produced defense systems, including armored vehicles, drones and air defense platforms displayed at the EDEX 2025 defense exhibition held in Cairo last December.

Among the systems highlighted were the Raad 300, a multiple-caliber guided rocket launcher capable of striking targets at ranges of up to 300 kilometers, and the Jabbar 150 unmanned aerial vehicle, which Egyptian officials describe as possessing advanced offensive capabilities.

The unveiling of the Jabbar 150 attracted attention in Israel. In a report published on June 8, Israeli website Natziv.net said Israeli security agencies were monitoring advances in Egyptian military technology and assessing their strategic implications.

Major General Nasr Salem, a military analyst, noted that Egypt’s drive to deepen domestic weapons production is intended both to secure military supply lines and reduce the cost of importing arms.

“Part of Egypt’s strategy to diversify its sources of armaments is based on localizing military industries,” Salem told Asharq Al-Awsat.

He stressed that the prolonged nature of modern conflicts requires armies to maintain a continuous flow of weapons and ammunition, adding that some military estimates suggest the cost of a single day of combat can equal a year’s defense procurement budget for some armed forces.

“For that reason, the best option for countries is to manufacture their own weapons,” he said.

Salem cautioned, however, that building a domestic defense industry is itself costly and requires access to advanced technologies capable of competing with foreign systems.

He added that local production offers another advantage: the ability to design weapons tailored to a country’s operational environment and the needs of its armed forces.

Major General Samir Ragab said expanding local defense production also helps reduce pressure on foreign-currency resources.

“No country in the world can achieve complete self-sufficiency in armaments,” Ragab told Asharq Al-Awsat, noting that certain categories of advanced weapons will continue to be imported from countries with more sophisticated defense-industrial capabilities.

Nevertheless, he said, a strong domestic defense-industrial base enhances the Egyptian military’s capabilities and provides Cairo with greater flexibility to develop weapons systems suited to its own requirements.

Arab World

Lebanon Reports Israeli Strikes in South after Evacuation Warning

Smoke billows from southern Lebanon following an Israeli strike, as seen from Marjeyoun, Lebanon, June 12, 2026. (Reuters)
Smoke billows from southern Lebanon following an Israeli strike, as seen from Marjeyoun, Lebanon, June 12, 2026. (Reuters)
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Lebanon Reports Israeli Strikes in South after Evacuation Warning

Smoke billows from southern Lebanon following an Israeli strike, as seen from Marjeyoun, Lebanon, June 12, 2026. (Reuters)
Smoke billows from southern Lebanon following an Israeli strike, as seen from Marjeyoun, Lebanon, June 12, 2026. (Reuters)

Lebanon reported Israeli strikes on the country's south on Saturday shortly after the Israeli army issued an evacuation warning for 20 locations including the city of Nabatieh ahead of raids there, said AFP.

The state-run National News Agency (NNA) said Israeli airstrikes hit several areas covered by the warning, including the villages of Rihan and Sujud, located not far from Nabatieh. 

The Israeli army warning urged residents to "evacuate your homes immediately and move to the north of the Zahrani River", around 45 kilometers (28 miles) from the southern border with Israel. 

The Israeli army last month declared all areas south of the river "combat zones", and has since been striking the area. 

The NNA late Friday reported explosions and artillery shelling near the Ali Taher hills overlooking Nabatieh. 

On Friday Hezbollah, which has kept up attacks on Israeli troops who have invaded south Lebanon, said its fighters had confronted Israeli forces advancing towards the town of Majdal Zoun. 

Israel and Hezbollah have been at war since early March when the Iran-backed group drew Lebanon into the Middle East conflict with rocket fire at Israel to avenge the killing of Iran's supreme leader in US-Israeli strikes. 

Israel launched a massive campaign of airstrikes and a ground invasion, killing more than 3,700 people in Lebanon, authorities say. 

Neither Israel nor Hezbollah have respected an April ceasefire, and a conditional truce deal announced this month after the fourth round of direct Lebanese-Israeli negotiations in Washington has also failed to halt the fighting. 

Hezbollah has rejected the direct talks and the conditional agreement, which requires it to cease attacks but makes no mention of Israel doing so or withdrawing troops from Lebanon. 

Iran insists that Lebanon must be part of any agreement to end the wider Middle East war, and a senior US official said Friday that a peace deal with Iran "includes Lebanon". 

But Lebanon's leaders have accused Tehran of treating Lebanon as a "bargaining chip". 

Hezbollah lawmaker Ali Fayyad on Saturday urged Lebanon to take advantage of any deal to end the Iran war that includes the country. 

"We want the Lebanese state to negotiate for itself, and nobody is suggesting forfeiting this role," Fayyad said, "however, the state must abandon the policy of being crushed in the face of the Israelis and submission to the Americans." 

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said in a statement on X on Saturday that Lebanon faces "a fateful test". 

"Either its people unite around a sovereign state that monopolizes weapons, upholds the law and protects citizens irrespective of their affiliation or position, or it remains hostage to the logic of militias," the statement said. 

 

Arab World

Sharaa: Syria Seeks to Stop Lebanon War, Not Join It

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa (SANA)
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa (SANA)
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Sharaa: Syria Seeks to Stop Lebanon War, Not Join It

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa (SANA)
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa (SANA)

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has moved to quell renewed speculation that Syria could become involved in the war in Lebanon, saying reports that Damascus intends to intervene militarily are “mere rumors.”

Sharaa said Syria’s position at this stage was based on “seeking to stop the war in Lebanon, not becoming involved in it.”

His remarks came during a meeting with a delegation from the Damascus countryside. He said demarcating the Syrian-Lebanese border was “not currently a priority” given more urgent files, foremost among them the case of about 1.4 million displaced Syrians in Lebanon and efforts to find a suitable mechanism to ensure their return.

US President Donald Trump had recently reaffirmed Washington’s goal of delivering a strong blow to Hezbollah. According to him, Israel has done what is necessary in the south, but there is still much left to eliminate Hezbollah. He then hinted at possibly having to ask Syria’s involvement.

Trump’s remarks prompted a wave of interpretations, amid reports of a possible visit by Sharaa to Washington. The Syrian presidency denied those reports.

Sources in Damascus told Asharq Al-Awsat that the US remarks were “a form of reshuffling the cards” and fell within “the framework of negotiating statements and sending messages to Iran.”

The sources said, “So far, there has been no official US request to Damascus related to any form of Syrian military intervention in Lebanon.” They said Tom Barrack, Trump’s envoy to Syria and Iraq and Washington’s ambassador in Ankara, had previously asked Damascus “to take a clear, explicit and serious position against Hezbollah.”

The sources said Damascus believes it already has such a position, reflected in border control, cutting smuggling routes and high-level coordination with the Lebanese government.

They added that “entering the quagmire of war and sending military forces unilaterally is completely ruled out,” and that it was “very, very early” to discuss the possibility of Syrian forces entering Lebanon in support of the Lebanese army.

Brigadier General Hassan Abdul Ghani, commander of the Border Guard Forces in the Syrian Arab Army, met last Thursday with a Lebanese army delegation headed by liaison official Brigadier General Michel Boutros, in the presence of several officers.

The talks focused on issues of mutual concern, mainly “enhancing cooperation and coordination between the two sides in border control and combating smuggling activities, in a way that contributes to strengthening border security between the two countries.”

At the same time, Syria’s Interior Ministry said “Lebanon is a sovereign state and not a backyard, as the former regime viewed it,” stressing that “coordination with Lebanon is the basic pillar for any assistance Syria provides to Lebanon.”

Sharaa had expressed Syria’s readiness to provide Lebanon with whatever support and assistance it can, within available capabilities and circumstances, when he received former Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati in Damascus on the ninth of this month.

Media reports said Sharaa told Mikati that “Lebanon’s stability and security constitute a direct Syrian interest,” and that Damascus was keen to build the best relations with the Lebanese state on the basis of mutual respect, good neighborliness and non-interference in internal affairs.

The meeting between Sharaa and Mikati, which lasted for hours, discussed the state of bilateral relations between Damascus and Beirut and prospects for developing them in the next stage, along with several economic and investment files of mutual interest, in light of the transformations taking place in the region.