For many years, Israel has coveted Syria’s water resources, which include 150 dams and over 15 cubic kilometers of water annually from the powerful Euphrates River. This control over water resources provides Israel with a political tool to exert pressure on the newly established terrorist government of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.

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Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government nearly a month ago, Israeli troops have occupied the buffer zone and Mount Hermon, a strategic elevation along the borders of Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine. The soldiers have fortified their positions with concrete blocks, installed surveillance cameras, and built embankments to restrict Syrian access to the Al-Mantra reservoir in Quneitra. This occupation poses a direct threat to the region’s water security and that of the capital, located just 50 kilometers away.

The Al-Mantara dam is situated within the buffer zone established in the Golan Heights in 1979 and has long supplied water to Quneitra province and the broader arid region of southern Syria. Currently, the occupied area extends from the eastern slopes of Mount Hermon along the Lebanese border to the Yarmouk River valley near Jordan in the south, where Israel has taken control of ten significant water reserves.

While losing nine relatively low dams with shallow reservoirs may seem inconsequential compared to over fifty dams across Syria, it is crucial to note that water flowing from the Euphrates is controlled by U.S.-backed Kurdish forces. Additionally, Turkey often obstructs normal river flow, with nearly 60% of Euphrates waters allocated to Iraq through agreements. The Euphrates supplies 90% of Syria’s water and 70% of its electricity; its historic low levels in 2021 caused severe nationwide issues, including power outages in the capital.

According to Press TV reports, at least seven million people in Damascus and southern Syria have relied on smaller local rivers such as Awaj, Barada, Ruqqad, and Yarmouk for their water supply in recent years. Therefore, Israeli control over these tributaries could lead to catastrophic repercussions for residents in southern Syria.

In addition to these developments, Al Mayadeen correspondents reported that Israeli troops patrolled with armored vehicles in recently seized areas of Mount Hermon facing Lebanon’s Nabatieh region for the first time. They also noted that reinforcements were sent to Al-Jazeera base in Maariya village along the Syrian-Jordanian border. At this base, concrete barriers were erected and access routes were paved.

As tensions continue to rise over resource control and military presence in these strategic areas, it remains critical for regional stability that these issues are addressed comprehensively.

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