A fragile calm returned to the village of Abdin in Syria's western Daraa countryside on Monday after Israeli forces withdrew following the largest military escalation in the area in recent months.
Israeli troops pulled back overnight from Tal al-Maghar and the outskirts of Abdin towards the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and the nearby al-Jazira military base near Maariya village, after a day of artillery shelling, helicopter gunfire and a ground incursion.
Despite the withdrawal, Israeli drones continued to fly over the area on Monday as Syrian military police and internal security forces deployed around the village to help restore stability.
Syrian Civil Defence teams also arrived in Abdin to assist families displaced by the escalation and provide humanitarian aid.
A local source told The New Arab that some residents had begun returning to their homes after fleeing to neighbouring villages during Sunday's attack.
Israeli forces launched the operation on Sunday using artillery and helicopter gunships while military vehicles advanced from the al-Jazira base into the village and surrounding area, triggering panic among residents and forcing several families to flee.
Local sources said the shelling damaged farmland and private property but caused no casualties. Israeli warplanes and helicopters continued flying over Daraa and neighbouring Quneitra province throughout the operation.
Residents said Israeli forces withdrew from Tal al-Maghar at around 2:00 am after erecting tents there on Sunday morning.
Before the withdrawal, villagers blocked roads leading into Abdin with rocks in an attempt to prevent another incursion after troops allegedly fired live ammunition and illumination flares during the operation.
Ahmed al-Hajer, head of operations for the Syrian Civil Defence's Emergency and Disaster Management Directorate in southern Syria, told the state news agency SANA that Israeli artillery struck areas surrounding Abdin while a military helicopter fired machine guns towards the village.
He said no injuries were reported, but the attack caused widespread fear and forced several families to leave their homes. Civil defence teams continued evacuating and assisting displaced residents despite ongoing Israeli drone activity overhead.
Local residents told TNA that clashes broke out on Sunday evening after Israeli forces attempted to enter the village.
According to one local source, villagers placed rocks on roads to block Israeli troops, who responded by firing live ammunition towards civilians. Some residents threw stones at the soldiers, while a patrol from the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) attempted to prevent further confrontation.
The source said around 12 Israeli soldiers in five military vehicles entered Abdin from Tal al-Maghar, established a checkpoint on the road leading to Jamlah village, searched civilians, including children, and prevented people from leaving the village. The troops also fired shots into the air before a UNDOF patrol arrived at the scene.
The escalation is the latest in a series of Israeli incursions into Daraa and Quneitra provinces in recent days, including house searches, military checkpoints, artillery shelling and gunfire that residents say have disrupted daily life and damaged agricultural land.
Residents of villages in the Yarmouk Basin said such operations have become almost routine, leaving communities living in fear and affecting farming and livestock activities.
Syria's Foreign Ministry condemned the Israeli attacks and incursions into Daraa and Quneitra as a "flagrant violation" of Syria's sovereignty, territorial integrity, international law and the 1974 Disengagement Agreement. It called on the United Nations and the international community to take urgent action to stop repeated Israeli violations.
A UNDOF patrol toured Abdin on Monday following the shelling, according to SANA, as displaced families began returning to the village.
Qatar's Foreign Ministry denounced the Israeli incursion into Daraa and Quneitra and the accompanying artillery bombardment as a blatant violation of Syrian sovereignty and international law, warning that continued attacks risk further destabilising the region.
Jordan's Foreign Ministry similarly condemned the incursions and shelling, calling for an end to all Israeli attacks on Syrian territory and reaffirming Amman's support for Syria's sovereignty, security and territorial integrity.
The Gulf Cooperation Council also condemned the Israeli military operation, with Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi warning that the continued incursions represented a dangerous escalation that threatened regional peace and stability.