Qatari and Syrian Defense Ministers Discuss Areas of Cooperation, Coordination, and Support for Stability

Syrian Defense Minister, Major General Marhaf Abu Qasra, held a telephone conversation with Sheikh Saud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan Al Thani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defense Affairs of Qatar, to discuss issues of mutual interest. The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) stated that the call addressed developments in current regional and international events, explored areas of cooperation and joint coordination between the two sides, and discussed ways to enhance coordination in a manner that serves shared interests and supports security and stability.

Meanwhile, Al Arabiya channel, citing unnamed sources, reported that “the Syrian army announced a state of military alert without specifying the reasons” immediately.

In this context, an Israeli occupation force once again penetrated the village of Ma’arriya in the Yarmouk Basin area in western Daraa countryside. SANA reported that an occupation force conducted a limited penetration in the western part of the village, searched several civilian homes, and then withdrew from the area without recording any arrests.

The agency noted that occupation forces continued over the past two days to carry out bulldozing operations and open an old dirt road north of Al-Raqad Valley from the direction of Ma’arriya village, using engineering machinery accompanied by a tank and a pickup truck.

Israel continues to violate the 1974 Disengagement Agreement through its repeated penetrations in southern Syria, raids on civilian homes, arrests, land bulldozing, and attacks involving shells and other means.

Syria continues to demand the withdrawal of the Israeli occupation from its territories, emphasizing that all measures taken by Israel are null and void, carry no legal effect under international law, and calls on the international community to fulfill its responsibilities and compel Israel to fully withdraw from southern Syria.