Israel Shells Syrian Golan; US Envoy Urges Calm in Sweida
The Israeli military shelled areas in the central Quneitra countryside in southern Syria on Sunday, with separate attacks targeting farmland near the villages of Al-Samdaniyah Al-Sharqiyah and Al-Mashaa'la. The shelling resulted in the death of a number of sheep, with no reports of human casualties. The Quneitra Directorate of Information stated that an artillery shell fired from the Al-Hamidiyah base caused the damage to farmland west of Al-Mashaa'la. Earlier on Sunday, Syrian state media reported an Israeli artillery strike near Al-Samdaniyah Al-Sharqiyah, also without reported injuries or significant damage.
These strikes are part of a pattern of repeated Israeli actions in southern Syria. On Saturday evening, Israeli forces fired six artillery shells on the outskirts of Al-Rafid town in southern Quneitra after a five-vehicle military incursion, which ended with an Israeli withdrawal without arrests. Earlier in the week, Israeli forces shelled the area around Tel Al-Ahmar Al-Sharqi on Thursday and briefly detained a shepherd on Tuesday before releasing him.
Meanwhile, U.S. Special Envoy for Syria, Tom Barcak, called for restraint in the Druze-majority Sweida province on Saturday evening, expressing Washington's concern over renewed tensions. Barcak referenced a trilateral roadmap for peace in Sweida signed nearly a year ago with Syrian and Jordanian foreign ministers, aimed at reintegrating the province with dignity. He condemned the arbitrary detention and expulsion of Sweida notable Atef Hunaidi, stating his team was in contact with him and others affected by the violence.
Syrian state television reported that "outlaw groups" in Sweida forced Hunaidi to leave the city after his abduction, reportedly due to his condemnation of statements by Druze leader Hikmat Al-Hajri. However, the National Guard forces affiliated with Al-Hajri claimed their fighters intervened to de-escalate the situation and that Hunaidi left for Damascus voluntarily. Barcak urged continued cooperation between Druze communities, Arab tribes, and neighboring countries, emphasizing that force should remain solely in the hands of the state and that the Syrian government had begun holding accountable those responsible for July's "serious crimes."
Sweida has seen escalating tensions recently, with clashes between local armed groups and government security forces resulting in casualties on both sides. Parts of Sweida province are controlled by local armed factions, including Al-Hajri's National Guard, which has made claims regarding its relationship with Israel. Israel has previously intervened militarily in Syria, citing the protection of Druze communities, and has conducted frequent incursions and attacks in the south.
