Israeli Army Closes in on Damascus as Baku Talks Aim to ‘Reshape’ Southern Syria

As diplomatic negotiations seek to determine the future of southern Syria, Israeli military operations are intensifying around Suwayda and the outskirts of Damascus.

A new round of talks, reportedly set to take place in Azerbaijan’s capital, Baku, between Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer comes amid significant advances by Israeli troops on Syrian territory.

According to reports from Al-Akhbar, Israeli forces have reached Ras al-Nabaa, a town west of Qatana, situated just 20 kilometers from Damascus. This marks the second incursion of this kind in under a week.

Local sources said the unit, which included senior Israeli officers such as army spokesperson Avichay Adraee, advanced from Mount Hermon via the Qalaat Jandal–Aysam corridor before entering the former headquarters of Syria’s now-defunct 78^th Brigade.

Images circulating online depicted Israeli troops near Qatana with captions in Hebrew declaring, “Our destination: Damascus,” a message that has alarmed Syrian observers and analysts.

Many believe Israel may be preparing to establish a permanent base in the region to launch future operations deeper into Syrian territory.

Qatana holds strategic significance, having formerly housed Syria’s 10^th and 7^th Divisions, elite Republican Guard units, and the Palestinian Liberation Army – the military wing of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO). Control over this area could allow Israeli forces to access key corridors toward Yafour and Jdeidat Artouz, placing them within striking distance of the Syrian capital.

Elsewhere, Israeli troop deployments have intensified near the disengagement line connecting the occupied Golan Heights to Syrian territory previously secured after the collapse of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s government. New air defense and electronic warfare systems have reportedly been installed at Tal al-Faras near the Deraa–Quneitra border, disrupting communications across both provinces.

Additional Israeli outposts have been established in Breqa, Beer Ajam, and Qers al-Nafl, close to the Druze-majority town of Hadar. Analysts suggest these moves signal an effort to consolidate control and pressure Damascus into accepting a new security architecture in the region.

Meanwhile, Israeli helicopters have been landing at the former 15^th Division headquarters in Suwayda, now used by anti-government Druze factions. A source close to the Men of Dignity – a Druze militia mainly operating in the Suwayda Governorate – said that the helicopters are delivering weapons and medical supplies as local factions seek to form a unified force to protect the province and enforce a long-term ceasefire.

Despite this coordination, the source said pro-Damascus clan factions continue to violate the truce. On Tuesday night, they reportedly attempted to advance toward Al-Thaala but were repelled with the aid of Israeli drone strikes.

With military escalation outpacing diplomatic efforts, the fragile situation in southern Syria remains on a knife’s edge.

Israel’s influence in southern Syria has grown following last month’s massacre of hundreds of Druze civilians in Suwayda. The killings were carried out by forces loyal to Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, including from the Ministry of Defense, General Security, and armed Bedouin tribes.

The attack on Suwayda, which reportedly received a green light from the US and Israel, has pushed the Druze into the arms of Tel Aviv. Many Druze are now asking for the international community, including Israel, to intervene to protect them from Sharaa’s forces.

Tel Aviv is seeking to occupy southern Syria, including Deraa and Suwayda, to create the so-called David’s Corridor connecting Israeli-occupied territory in the Golan Heights to territory in north-east Syria occupied by US-backed Kurdish forces.

President Sharaa – the former ISIS commander who went by the nom de guerre Abu Mohammad al-Julani – was installed in power in Damascus in December with support from Israel, the US, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkiye, as part of a 14-year operation to topple Assad’s government.