Israel has started a significant construction project along the Alpha Line, a demarcation separating Israeli-occupied Golan Heights from Syria. Satellite imagery analyzed by the Associated Press shows that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have been laying asphalt for a road and setting up fencing along a route stretching more than 4.5 miles (7.5 kilometers) from near the town of Majdal Shams.Â
The Alpha Line delineates a demilitarized buffer zone established after the 1973 Arab-Israeli War, which is monitored by United Nations peacekeepers from the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF). According to UNDOF, Israeli personnel, heavy equipment, and excavators have crossed into the demilitarized area during the construction, marking a violation of the cease-fire agreement governing the zone. U.N. peacekeeping spokesperson Nick Birnback confirmed that no military equipment or personnel from either Israel or Syria are permitted within this separation zone. The Israeli military has not commented on the project, and Syrian officials in Damascus have also remained silent.
🇮🇱🇸🇾 Based on satellite images, Associated Press claims that Israel is building a construction project along the Golan Heights.
In addition, the Associated Press claims that the United Nations has confirmed that Israeli forces have entered a civilian zone in Syria while working! pic.twitter.com/Kydv29HQnR
— OSINT Expert (@OsintExperts) November 11, 2024
High-resolution images taken on November 5 by Planet Labs PBC show clear evidence of excavation, fresh asphalt, and equipment operating within the demilitarized area, which is thought to contain unexploded ordnance and mines from past conflicts. UNDOF has observed this activity over recent months, but Israel has not publicly acknowledged it.
In June, Israel sent a 71-page letter to the United Nations alleging frequent Syrian civilian and military incursions into the demilitarized area, citing these as ongoing security risks. Israel’s latest construction efforts on the Alpha Line follow similar recent work along the Gaza Strip frontier, where Israel reportedly set up a buffer zone.
While there have been no reports of violence along the Alpha Line, the Golan Heights remains a historically sensitive area due to ongoing tensions between Israel and Syria, which have been in a technical state of war since Israel’s founding in 1948.
