Israel is constructing military bases on Syrian territory it seized in December 2024, including areas within the U.N.-monitored buffer zone in the Golan Heights. 

Satellite images confirmed by BBC Verify and reports from Syrian and Israeli sources show the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) building at least six forward-operating bases in Quneitra Governorate, with five inside the 235-square-kilometer Area of Separation (AOS).

Syrian Sources are claiming that the Israel Defense Force has begun the construction of several Forward-Operating Bases (FOBs) in the Quneitra Governorate of Southwestern Syria, with one being erected near the Town of Madinat al-Salam. pic.twitter.com/yp0Lw599NE

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) January 21, 2025

Under the terms of Israel’s 1974 ceasefire agreement with Syria, the IDF is prohibited from crossing the Alpha Line on the western edge of the AOS.

When asked about the photos, the IDF said its “forces are operating in southern Syria, within the buffer zone and at strategic points, to protect the residents of northern Israel.”

In December, Israel took control of hundreds of square kilometers in Quneitra and Deraa provinces, including the U.N. buffer zone and Mount Hermon, after the collapse of the Assad regime. Israeli officials have indicated plans to maintain a 15-kilometer buffer zone and expand a “zone of influence” up to 60 kilometers into Syria.

Independent Syrian outlet Enab Baladi reported that Israeli forces had destroyed trees, bulldozed agricultural land, and at times blocked the movement of U.N. peacekeepers stationed in the buffer zone.

The U.N. has called Israel’s recent actions a “severe violation” of the 1974 ceasefire agreement, and Arab nations have condemned the occupation as a breach of Syrian sovereignty.

Syria’s new Islamist-led government has also condemned the occupation. Ahmed Al-Sharaa, the country’s de facto leader, has called for Israeli withdrawal and for U.N. peacekeepers to resume control of the buffer zone.

In response to the Israeli occupation, Syria’s defense minister, Murhaf Abu Qasra, appointed Binyan Ahmed Al-Hariri, a former rebel commander, to oversee military operations in the south. Efforts to stabilize the region include integrating rebel factions into a unified national army and deploying government troops to regain control.