Israeli forces demolish mosque and courthouse in Quneitra during fortification work

On the evening of April 24, explosions rocked the ruined city of Quneitra as Israeli army personnel carried out controlled detonations that demolished the Dagestan Mosque, the courthouse and surrounding buildings, according to Enab Baladi’s correspondent. Witnesses reported an earlier explosion that morning and said the razing is part of ongoing fortification works — including trench-digging and berm construction along the “Sufa” line — aimed at strengthening a military base and, local sources allege, removing evidence of prior violent acts. Residents noted that other key structures, including al-Andalus Cinema, al-Golan Hospital and Ibn al-Haytham Secondary School, had already been destroyed in January, and that parts of Quneitra were previously razed after Israel’s 1974 withdrawal.

Continued incursions and UN engagement

Israeli incursions in Quneitra countryside continue, with residents reporting searches, raids, arrests and checkpoints. Enab Baladi says the army has increased its presence in areas it designates as closed military zones since the fall of the Assad regime on December 8, 2024. A UNDOF delegation met residents and relatives of detainees in Jubata al-Khashab on April 21 to hear demands for the release and clarification of the fate of those detained; attendees included Hussein Saad al-Din, who appealed for the release of his 17-year-old son, Saddam, held for more than a year and a half. Local leaders told the UN team that repeated meetings have produced little result and urged an end to arrests, land bulldozing and restrictions on farming; the UN said it would raise these issues with higher bodies. as reported by Enab Baladi