LEILA FADEL, HOST:
In the Golan Heights in southwest Syria, residents say Israeli troops are raiding their homes and villages. And they ask if this is the start of a land grab.
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
Since the overthrow of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad last month, Israel has conducted near daily airstrikes across Syria. And Israeli forces seized more territory in the Golan Heights. We say more territory because Israel actually captured much of the Golan decades ago and didn't give it back. Now they're moving into a buffer zone that is monitored by the United Nations. Israel says the strikes and troop movements are all aimed at keeping their border secure.
FADEL: NPR's Hadeel Al-Shalchi is just back from the Golan Heights and joins us now. Good morning.
HADEEL AL-SHALCHI, BYLINE: Good morning.
FADEL: So what did you find?
AL-SHALCHI: Well, the Golan Heights is a swath of land about 40 miles away from the capital, Damascus. The land is hilly, dotted with olive groves and grazing cows. It's also surrounded by these beautiful snow-capped mountains. I visited the province of Al Quneitra, part of which lies in this buffer zone that the Israelis entered a month ago. A resident said that troops set up checkpoints, regularly entering their villages and searching homes for weapons. The Israeli military has said they're protecting itself and it coordinates its operations with the local populations. Troops have set up in areas of a village called al-Hamidiyah, for example. I was on its edge yesterday and saw a tank at a new checkpoint on the main road. And also, wherever you go, there are these tank tracks all over the roads.
FADEL: And what did people say about what it's like to live with Israeli troops coming into their villages?
AL-SHALCHI: I heard a lot of fear. In a village called al-Baath, I spoke to one Syrian resident, Mohamed Faroukh (ph), who lived maybe 300 yards away from where the Israelis had set up a checkpoint. He said tanks roll into his village constantly.
MOHAMED FAROUKH: (Speaking Arabic).
AL-SHALCHI: Faroukh says his small daughter now wakes up at night shouting, a tank, a tank, out of fear. In another village I went to, Jubata Al-Khashab, the mayor told me he met with Israeli troops. And they told him they wanted to enter their homes to search for weapons. So to keep the troops out, the mayor went back to his community, rounded up any weapons they had and handed them over to the Israeli military.
FADEL: And what's the Israeli military saying about all this?
AL-SHALCHI: Well, we asked the Israeli military for comment about all those incidents. We're waiting for their response. And there's also been reports of anti-Israeli protests in various villages. In Sweisa, for example, I met two young men who were injured when they said Israeli troops shot into the crowd. We're waiting on Israeli comment on that incident also.
FADEL: And what are Syrians saying about the seizure of land?
AL-SHALCHI: Well, for a context, Israel seized and occupied the Golan Heights from Syria during the Arab-Israeli war of '67, and then they began settling the land. The settlements are considered illegal under international law, although Israel disputes that. And in '74, the two countries agreed to create this buffer zone in part of the Golan Heights. And that's the area that the Israeli military entered yesterday. So all of this is making Syrians worry that the move may mean more annexation, more displacement and probably more settlements.
FADEL: And what have the new leaders of Syria, the rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham - or HTS - and Israel said about the situation?
AL-SHALCHI: I mean, Israel has been adamant. A couple of weeks ago, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the seized buffer zone and said, quote, "we will stay until another arrangement ensures Israel's security." And for HTS, not a lot. The residents of the villages I visited said they hadn't heard much from them, and HTS hadn't sent any forces to even protect them.
FADEL: NPR's Hadeel Al-Shalchi in Damascus. Thank you.
AL-SHALCHI: You're welcome.
FADEL: Again, we have requested comment from the Israeli military about these village raids and what residents told us. They haven't gotten back to us. If they do, we will note their response in additional reporting. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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