Israeli Settlement Project Launched in Syria Amid Concerns Over Local Livelihoods
According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights announced today that the Israeli regime, as part of its expansionist policies in southern Syria, has begun constructing a cattle farm on Syrian soil, as reported by Al-Akhbar newspaper, citing Mehr News Agency.
The report indicates that activists from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights have monitored the emergence of a new project by Israeli settlers in the Wadi Maria area, located in the Yarmouk Basin in the western Daraa countryside. This project involves the establishment of a farm with approximately 140 cattle in an area situated behind a fence erected by Israeli forces.
The Observatory emphasized that this action signifies the solidification of the Israeli regime’s ongoing aggressive reality, the violation of Syrian territorial sovereignty in the border region, and its exploitation for economic activities.
Based on the obtained information, the Observatory adds that the objective of this project is to establish a permanent civilian and economic presence, which the Tel Aviv military establishment considers part of its security system and control over the region.
According to the report, this project commenced about six months ago at the initiative of the former commander of the occupied Golan Brigade in the Israeli army, with the cooperation of the “Hashomer Hachadash” organization.
The source stated that the project has led to a tightening of conditions for local residents, particularly Syrian shepherds, who are no longer able to access the areas they relied upon for grazing their livestock. This development threatens their livelihoods and exacerbates their economic hardship amid difficult living conditions in the region.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has expressed its concern over the continuation of these actions, which are imposing new realities on Syrian territory and affecting the rights of local residents to access their lands and livelihoods.
The organization urged the international community and the United Nations to take immediate action to halt violations against civilians and agricultural lands in southern Syria, ensuring the protection of local residents and preventing any actions that lead to a change in the existing reality or the consolidation of influence within Syrian territory.
