Israel Conducts Rare Incursion on Syria-Lebanon Border to Target Hezbollah Routes

Israeli special forces carried out a rare cross-border operation into southern Syria in recent days, targeting Hezbollah-linked positions near the Lebanese border in what appears to be an effort to disrupt the group’s logistical corridors between Syria and Lebanon, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The operation reportedly took place in the village of Rakhlah, a mountainous area located along the border and long known as a transit zone for Hezbollah’s arms and personnel. According to the Observatory, Israeli units targeted former Syrian army sites and military barracks belonging to the regime’s defunct 36th Brigade, which are now believed to be used by Hezbollah. The incursion occurred in the vicinity of Qalaat Jandal in the Mount Hermon region.

Sources familiar with the operation said the aim was to sever key supply routes between Syria and Lebanon, tightening restrictions on Hezbollah’s movements in the strategic border zone.

The Observatory also reported sightings of Israeli military helicopters flying over the nearby town of Yaafour in rural Damascus, although there were no confirmed reports of airborne troop landings as of Monday morning.

In the central countryside of Quneitra, adjacent to the Golan Heights, Israeli forces reportedly conducted ground movements near the village of Beer Ajam. The operation included excavation and bulldozing activity, which was followed by the construction of new earthen fortifications.

On Sunday evening, a separate Israeli force composed of three military vehicles entered the village of Ruwayhina in southern Quneitra, where they carried out house searches and collected field data from residents in what appeared to be a reconnaissance or intelligence-gathering mission.

The Observatory noted that Israeli activity in the area has intensified in recent weeks, particularly since July 4, when Israeli units carried out a series of uncharacteristic movements stretching from Yaafour to Qalaat Jandal in the Mount Hermon area.