Israeli aircraft sprayed substances believed to be toxic to vegetation on land near its military positions in Quneitra governorate (southwestern Syria) on Sunday, 25 January, local sources told Enab Baladi.

Quneitra’s media directorate said a delegation of engineers from the governorate’s agriculture directorate will inspect the sprayed material tomorrow morning.

Al-Quneitra Now reported low altitude flights by an Israeli paraglider over southern Quneitra’s countryside today and on Saturday, without any clarification of what substances were sprayed.

In the same context of field developments in the governorate, an Israeli army patrol opened heavy, indiscriminate fire on the village of al-Ajraf in southern Quneitra’s countryside.

The road connecting Umm al-Azam and the Mantara Dam area in central Quneitra’s countryside also came under heavy Israeli fire.

On Saturday, an Israeli patrol advanced into the town of Rafid, consisting of five armored vehicles carrying soldiers.

Also on Saturday, Israeli forces released two young men whom they had detained for several hours from the village of Sida al-Hanout in the southern countryside while they were herding sheep.

Local news networks in Quneitra reported that the Israeli army is building new fortifications at the Tal al-Ahmar West base in the governorate’s southern countryside.

On 22 January, Israeli forces fired two shells at the al-Naqar area, in agricultural lands south of Jubata al-Khashab, and around Birkat al-Hurriya north of Quneitra.

On the same day, sheep herders were shot at while on their lands west of Beer Ajam in the central countryside.

Another force, made up of four military vehicles, also entered the area, amid continued Israeli violations targeting civilians, farmers, and livestock breeders.

Violations continue

On 20 January, the Israeli army blew up the historic al-Andalus Cinema building in Quneitra city, destroying it.

Quneitra media activist Nour Golan confirmed the cinema’s destruction to Enab Baladi, saying the Israeli army detonated the building in a similar manner to what it did when it blew up the “Golan” hospital on 6 January.