Occupation resumes implementation of military project "Sofa 53" in the Golan

Israeli occupation forces resumed on Sunday the works of the military project "Sofa 53" in the southern Quneitra countryside, expanding digging, bulldozing, and establishing fortifications inside Syrian territory, along a military path adjacent to the occupied Golan, causing damage to agricultural lands and pastures.

Israeli occupation forces resumed on Sunday the works of the military project "Sofa 53" in the southern Quneitra countryside. Israeli engineering vehicles entered the area through the Al-Asha and Al-Rafid gates and began digging, raising earth berms, and digging trenches, expanding bulldozing inside Syrian territory. The works are concentrated west of Al-Asha and Al-Rafid, in a new resumption of the project that extends over parts of the Quneitra countryside along the ceasefire line with the occupied Syrian Golan. Israel began implementing the project on November 10, 2022, which included incursions into Syrian territory, paving military roads, constructing earth berms, digging trenches, and establishing fortifications and observation points. The project extends from the vicinity of Hadar in the northern Quneitra countryside to Al-Asha in the southern countryside towards the tri-border area, and includes paving a military road 8 meters wide and earth berms up to 5 meters high. The works have altered the features of vast areas of agricultural lands and pastures, with damage affecting about 12,000 dunams in the northern and central countryside. The berms have changed water flow paths, and the collapse of parts of them during heavy rains caused additional damage. Syrian official and media sources consider these works a clear violation and a blatant assault on Syrian sovereignty.