Syrian state media has accused Israeli forces of deliberately setting fire to agricultural land in the Quneitra countryside near the occupied Golan Heights.
Alikhbaria Syria reported that "Israeli occupation forces deliberately ignited fires in tens of dunams of land" near the separation fence west of Al Rafid, a town in southwestern Syria.
One dunam equals 1,000 square metres.
The channel said that UN personnel were attempting to extinguish the blaze using basic tools but were struggling to contain it.
No additional information was provided.
Earlier on Friday, Muhammad al Saeed, Deputy Governor of Quneitra, told Anadolu Agency that Israel had built more than eight military bases in the northern part of the governorate — including in the Yarmuk Basin — following the fall of Bashar al Assad in December 2024.
He said the bases were constructed within the buffer zone established by the 1974 Disengagement Agreement, calling it a "clear violation" of the accord.
Al Saeed added that Israeli activity had blocked access to around 6,000 hectares (14,800 acres) of farmland and pastures, cutting off income sources for families dependent on livestock.
Israel seized most of the Golan Heights during the 1967 Middle East War and later annexed the territory — a move not recognised internationally.
Since Assad’s departure to Russia and the formation of a transitional administration under President Ahmad al Sharaa in January, Israel has increased its aggression in Syria.
Air strikes have targeted military sites, vehicles and weapons depots, killing dozens of civilians, while Israeli forces have pushed deeper into the UN-monitored buffer zone — which Israel has declared defunct along with the 1974 agreement.
