Syria: Israeli army continues construction of 'Sofa 53' line on Syrian border.

SHOTLIST: QUNEITRA, SYRIA (MAY 18, 2026) 1. VARIOUS OF HEAVY MACHINERIES WORKING BETWEEN VILLAGES OF QUDNA AND BRIQA FOR SOFA 53 LINE PROJECT QUNEITRA, SYRIA - MAY 18: The Israeli army’s excavation and construction work has been ongoing on the "Sofa 53" line project between the villages of Qudna and Briqa in the countryside of Syria's southern Quneitra province. A large number of heavy construction vehicles were deployed to establish the line along the buffer zone in the occupied territories. The corridor measures eight meters (26 feet) in width and is reinforced with embankments. Israeli forces are strictly preventing local residents, shepherds, and farmers from approaching the line. The Israeli army staged a new raid and searched homes in Quneitra in southwestern Syria on Monday, in the latest violation of the Arab country’s sovereignty. The latest Israeli violations came despite earlier remarks by Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa that negotiations with Israel to reach a security deal had not reached a dead end but were facing difficulties over Israel’s insistence on maintaining a military presence on Syrian territory. After the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in December 2024, Israel declared the collapse of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement and moved to occupy the buffer zone along the frontier. Despite the new Syrian administration not issuing threats toward Israel, Israeli forces have carried out airstrikes in Syria since Assad’s ouster, killing civilians and targeting military sites, equipment, and ammunition.