Villagers fear Israeli incursion into Syria
DARAA, Syria - Fearful villagers of Maariyah on the slopes of Golan Heights in Syria say Israeli forces have been positioned near their villages, equipped with heavy weapons, restricting civilian movement and preventing farmers from working on their fields.
"The Israeli army is stationed near the treets, stationed in an organized way, they have got everything, including armored vehicles," said Abdulrahman Ahmed, a villager from Maariyah.
"They are increasingly present here. Sometimes they get near to the village and sometimes roam around its outskirts and in the valley, reaching the village of Aabdyn," he added.
Maariyah and Aabdyin are two Syrian villages in the west of the southern Daraa governorate near the occupied Golan Heights, now taken over by Israel.
The villages are situated outside the buffer zone in the Golan Heights, which is under Israeli occupation established in a ceasefire agreement between Syria and Israel in 1974.
Israel took control of a portion of southern Syria along the border with the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights soon after rebels overthrew Syrian President Bashar Assad on December 8.
Israel has said the deployment of their forces in those positions is a temporary step aimed at ensuring the "security of Israel’s northern border.” and will be withdrawn once a Syrian government is established.
Villagers in Maariyah are warned not to get near to the Israeli positions and are obligated to fly a white flag on their homes to be distinct from militant groups.
"If you own one bullet they will destroy the house upon you. They have called on people to hand over their guns to the mosques. Why? are we their slaves? No, we will not hand over guns and we will respond. We stay in Syria even if we are forced. That's the bottom line." said Abdulazeez Hamdan, another villager from Maariyah.
At least one civilian was injured on Friday when villagers protested the advance of the Israeli forces in the area.
"We protested against them and asked them to leave the area. cannons and one of the protesters got injured," said Mahmoud Hamdan, another villager.
"I swear by God we don't know, they want to invade the area." Hamdan replied when asked about the aim of the deployment of the Israeli forces.
"The Israeli army is stationed near the treets, stationed in an organized way, they have got everything, including armored vehicles," said Abdulrahman Ahmed, a villager from Maariyah.
"They are increasingly present here. Sometimes they get near to the village and sometimes roam around its outskirts and in the valley, reaching the village of Aabdyn," he added.
Maariyah and Aabdyin are two Syrian villages in the west of the southern Daraa governorate near the occupied Golan Heights, now taken over by Israel.
The villages are situated outside the buffer zone in the Golan Heights, which is under Israeli occupation established in a ceasefire agreement between Syria and Israel in 1974.
Israel took control of a portion of southern Syria along the border with the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights soon after rebels overthrew Syrian President Bashar Assad on December 8.
Israel has said the deployment of their forces in those positions is a temporary step aimed at ensuring the "security of Israel’s northern border.” and will be withdrawn once a Syrian government is established.
Villagers in Maariyah are warned not to get near to the Israeli positions and are obligated to fly a white flag on their homes to be distinct from militant groups.
"If you own one bullet they will destroy the house upon you. They have called on people to hand over their guns to the mosques. Why? are we their slaves? No, we will not hand over guns and we will respond. We stay in Syria even if we are forced. That's the bottom line." said Abdulazeez Hamdan, another villager from Maariyah.
At least one civilian was injured on Friday when villagers protested the advance of the Israeli forces in the area.
"We protested against them and asked them to leave the area. cannons and one of the protesters got injured," said Mahmoud Hamdan, another villager.
"I swear by God we don't know, they want to invade the area." Hamdan replied when asked about the aim of the deployment of the Israeli forces.