Farmers in the village of Jobbat al-Khashab in northern Quneitra countryside are struggling to access their crops and lands, while livestock herders have been forced to sell part of their herds due to the reduction in available pastures. This is the result of practices by Israeli occupation forces that have deprived residents of their basic sources of livelihood. The village headman, Mohammad Mazen Marayoud, told SANA correspondent that land clearing and closing access roads have deprived residents of areas relied upon for agriculture and livestock rearing.
In the same context, Marayoud pointed out that the area of land confiscated due to the "Sufa 53" line established by the occupation in 2022 in the disengagement zone amounts to approximately 7,000 dunums. He noted that the affected land includes 2,000 dunums of productive land and 2,500 dunums of forest land, where the forces established military outposts, cleared parts of it, and blocked access. He clarified that some farmers were unable to harvest their grain crops, while lands planted with fruit trees remained out of reach of their owners due to closed roads and the establishment of gates and fences.
For his part, Marayoud explained that restrictions imposed on pastures directly impacted livestock herd sizes, forcing those who owned around 100 sheep to sell a large portion of them due to pasture shortages, which negatively affected family incomes. He pointed out that a young man suffered a leg fracture after being shot, and noted that occupation forces prevented residents from using certain dams in the governorate, depriving farmers in other areas of the irrigation water needed for their crops.
He added that residents have documented the clearing operations and assaults with photos and video clips, emphasizing the residents' determination to remain in their villages despite the pressures. The Quneitra Media Directorate confirmed that the occupation prevented farmers in Tarjanja from accessing 250 hectares of fruit trees and 350 hectares of crops, and seized 560 hectares in Al-Hamidiya to establish the "Sufa 53" line. The Syrian Foreign Minister had strongly condemned these violations, which constitute a breach of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement and international legitimacy resolutions.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
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