Israeli expansion across Golan Heights frontier takes toll on Syrian farmers

In the Golan Heights, which Israel annexed in 1981, a Syrian farmer's land was forcibly seized by the Israeli military, causing hardship for the community. Hasan Saadeddin, who had farmed his quarter-hectare plot for decades, lost his land to new Israeli military installations in April 2024. The Syrian civil war and broader regional instability contributed to the situation, as Israel expanded its military presence along the Golan Heights frontier.

Now, over a thousand hectares of farmland and wooded areas near the frontier have been taken by Israel, with 250 farmers losing access to their land or having it rendered unusable. Israeli troops have been conducting daily patrols and carrying out airstrikes, while Syrian authorities report that Israel is extending its military line south towards the Yarmouk River.

The situation has been exacerbated by the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah and Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which have operated in the region, as well as the recent ousting of Syria's Assad regime in December 2024. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly spoken to Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara, but the Israeli military presence and incursions continue to pose a threat to the Syrian population.