---

A source confirmed that Israeli forces were ambushed in the Yarmouk Basin in southwestern Syria, while gunmen from the village of Kouya opened fire on Israeli positions in the Golan Heights.

Reports indicate that Israeli forces have been targeted by ambushes in the Yarmouk Basin in southwestern Syria. Meanwhile, fighters from the village of Kouya have attacked Israeli positions in the Golan Heights, in what is described as the first organized effort to counter Israeli incursions into southern Syria.

According to the news site Sawt Al-Asima, “fighters from the village of Kouya set up an ambush around the town, near the village of Ma’araba and the Karya Valley in the Yarmouk Basin, before opening fire on the Golan Heights.”

• “Including Syria and Lebanon”: How the Israeli Army Prepares for “Operation Winter”

• Nechirvan Barzani Calls for Helping Ahmad Al-Sharaa Bring Syria Out of Crisis

Although the ambushes did not result in casualties among Israeli forces stationed in the area, they prompted a heightened alert, with Israeli drones deployed for aerial surveillance. These operations come amid increased tension in rural Daraa, following an Israeli incursion into the village of Jamlah in the Yarmouk Basin, where troops conducted raids on several homes.

The Israeli Defense Minister recently issued direct threats to Syrian President Ahmed Shar’a during a visit to the summit of Mount Hermon, accompanied by Deputy Chief of Staff General Tamir Yedai.

• Biden Administration prepares to impose sanctions on Israeli Army Officers 

• After 8 Months of Closure… Here’s the Date for the Reopening of the Rafah Crossing between Egypt and Gaza

According to Israeli media, he stated that “the army will remain in the buffer zone as a security response to a potential threat from Syria.”

In a warning to the Syrian president, Katz declared: “Every morning when the Golanian wakes up in his presidential palace in Damascus, he will see the Israeli army watching him from the heights of Mount Hermon and remember that we are here.”

He added: “We will also be present in all security zones in southern Syria to protect the residents of the Golan and Galilee from any threat posed by him or his jihadist allies.” He stressed that “the Israeli army is preparing to remain in Syria for an indefinite period.”

• A report reveals the scale of American aid to the Israeli army since the start of the war… Get to know it 

• “The Passage is closed”: Syria Announces Interception of Weapons Bound for Hezbollah

Katz further stated: “We will maintain our presence in the security zone and on Mount Hermon, ensuring that the entire security zone in southern Syria is demilitarized and free of weapons and threats. We will also protect the Druze community in the region.”

Revealing recent Israeli military actions, he said: “Last night, we moved forcefully against military targets, striking more than 40 positions in southern Syria, implementing the policy we had announced to neutralize threats against the State of Israel.”

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has called for Syria to be transformed into a “federal state” with autonomous regions, in a blatant interference in Syrian affairs.

• Observatory: Russia Transferred Syrian Officers to a Base in North Africa

• The Israeli army is preparing for surprise Hamas weapons in the event of a ground invasion

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that his country will not allow the new Syrian army to deploy south of Damascus, demanding that the region be demilitarized.

Seeking to exploit ethnic and sectarian tensions in Syria, Netanyahu announced that Israel would protect the Druze in southern Syria. He also declared that his government had decided to grant work permits to young Druze from the region to work in the occupied Golan Heights.

In response to Netanyahu’s statements, Syrian President Ahmed Shar’a met with Druze dignitaries and community leaders to emphasize the importance of national unity in the face of foreign interventions.

• Israel Prepares for Worst-Case Scenarios in Syria

• After Al-Assad’s Fall… Syria Closes Its Doors to the Houthis

Since 1967, Israel has occupied most of the Syrian Golan Heights, seizing the Syrian buffer zone following the collapse of the Assad regime. Israel has also conducted airstrikes that have destroyed military sites, vehicles, and ammunition depots of the Syrian army.

On December 8, 2024, Syrian factions took control of Damascus, ending 61 years of Baath Party rule and 53 years of Assad family dominance.

• Israel plans to expand its ground operations in southern Lebanon

• Under a Tight Siege, Israel Expands Its Attack in Northern Gaza amid Reports of Hamas Activity