DAMASCUS, October 5, 2026 — Arab governments widened their condemnation of Israel on Monday after Israeli forces completed work on the fortified “Sufa 53 Line” in Syria’s southern Quneitra province, with Egypt demanding an immediate withdrawal of Israeli troops from Syrian territory.
Egypt’s Foreign Ministry issued a strong statement on Monday condemning continued Israeli incursions into southern Syria, calling them a flagrant violation of Syrian sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, international law and the 1974 Disengagement Agreement. Cairo specifically rejected what it described as Israeli moves aimed at imposing “a new reality on the ground” in Syria, and pressed for an immediate withdrawal of occupation forces.
The Egyptian statement followed condemnation on Sunday from Qatar, Jordan and Kuwait, all of which said the completion of the “Sufa 53 Line” project violates Syrian sovereignty and the 1974 agreement, according to reports by the Syrian state news agency SANA.
Bulldozers and trenches in Quneitra
SANA reported that Israeli forces on Sunday launched extensive land-clearing operations near the village of Al-Asha in southern Quneitra, where military bulldozers and heavy equipment were used to expand the earthen berm known as the “Sufa 53 Line.”
More than seven bulldozers and military vehicles also advanced southwest of Al-Rafid, where Israeli forces continued excavating a deep trench near the disengagement line inside Syrian territory, the agency’s correspondent in the province reported.
Israel resumed excavation work as part of the “Sufa 53” project in the southern Quneitra countryside on Sunday, according to local accounts, while Israeli forces also carried out incursions over the weekend into the villages of Saida al-Golan and Abdin in western Daraa.
A widening Arab diplomatic response
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry described the project as a flagrant breach of international principles and urged the international community to compel Israel to comply with UN resolutions and prevent further regional escalation, reaffirming Doha’s full support for Syria’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.
Jordan’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Ambassador Fuad Al-Majali, said the Israeli measures violated the UN Charter and Israel’s obligations under the 1974 agreement. Amman called on international bodies to uphold their legal responsibilities, end the occupation of Syrian territory and support Syria’s stability and sovereignty.
Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry described the Israeli incursions as a dangerous escalation threatening regional security and stability, calling for urgent international action to enforce relevant resolutions, particularly the 1974 Disengagement Agreement.
The “Sufa 53” project
The “Sufa 53” project — also referred to as “Great Storm” — is a fortified military route and network of observation posts along the separation line, expected to extend toward Hader and the slopes of Mount Hermon.
Israel reportedly began the project in the Quneitra countryside in mid-2022 near the town of Hader before expanding across several areas of the province. It includes the construction of a military road, fortifications and observation posts near the occupied Golan Heights.
Syria’s Foreign Ministry said the project represents a “flagrant violation” of the 1974 agreement, which established an 80-kilometre UN-monitored buffer zone between Syrian and Israeli forces following the 1973 Arab-Israeli war. Damascus urged the international community to take effective deterrent measures to stop the violations.
Syria reaffirmed its right to exercise full sovereignty over all of its territory, citing international law and relevant UN resolutions.
