Israeli occupation forces have resumed excavation and bulldozing work as part of the “Sufa 53” project in the southern countryside of Quneitra. The move comes months after engineering work was carried out in other parts of the governorate’s countryside.

On Sunday morning, Syria TV’s correspondent reported that several Israeli engineering vehicles entered the area west of the village of Al-Ashsha and the town of Al-Rafid, and began digging trenches and raising earthen berms inside Syrian territory.

The correspondent said the vehicles had been stationed in the border area for about a week and were prepared before the digging began in earnest this morning. This indicates the project has moved to a new axis in southern Quneitra.

The vehicles are entering through the Al-Ashsha and Al-Rafid gates, while the work is heading from the outskirts of Al-Ashsha toward the Yarmouk Basin.

A Trench, a Berm and a Supply Road

The work that has just begun includes digging a trench, raising an earthen berm, and cutting a supply road through the area, according to field information obtained by Syria TV.

According to the correspondent, the distance between the new works and the ceasefire line ranges from roughly 100 to 150 meters at some points, depending on the nature of the terrain.

The route is not uniform throughout. Valleys and low-lying areas impose different conditions on the engineering work, while digging and berm construction expand in the areas most suitable for cutting the road and building fortifications.

New stretches of farmland and pastureland are expected to fall within the project’s scope, particularly where the works approach land used by residents for farming and grazing livestock.

What Happened in “Sufa 53” Previously?

Israeli forces began implementing the “Sufa 53” project in November 2022. Since then, the work has included digging trenches, building earthen berms and cutting roads, while vehicles have pushed into stretches of Syrian territory.

Field information obtained by Syria TV in an earlier report indicated that about 80 percent of the project, whose route is estimated at roughly 70 kilometers, had been completed.

In earlier phases, the work advanced from northern Quneitra toward the south and covered several axes, including Buraiqa, Tal Ukasha and Saida Al-Golan, reaching the outskirts of the southern Kodana forest.

In some areas the work extended deep into the land, while in others the incursion ranged between 100 and 400 meters, and reached about 700 meters in parts of northern Quneitra, according to the earlier information.

What is new in the current work is the vehicles’ move to the Al-Ashsha and Al-Rafid axis. According to earlier information, these areas were not within the scope of the work carried out at the time.

The resumption of digging from this side therefore adds a new axis to the project’s route, after earlier work had reached areas in southern and central Quneitra.

Why Are Al-Ashsha and Al-Rafid Significant?

Al-Ashsha and Al-Rafid are located in southern Quneitra and are surrounded by farmland and pastureland on which residents of neighboring villages and towns depend.

The consequences of digging and raising berms in this area are not limited to the land being dug directly. The fortifications can block access to land behind them, or cut farmers off from parts of their land, depending on the route of the berm and trench.

The same applies to livestock herders who rely on open pastures. Building a military supply road, an earthen berm and a trench changes how people can move across land that was used for grazing.

In other parts of Quneitra, the project’s works had brought farmland and pastureland within their scope, according to local testimonies cited in Syria TV’s earlier report. Fruit trees and water sources were also left behind berms or in areas that are difficult for their owners to reach.

A Project Advancing in Stages

Work has not proceeded at a single pace along the project’s presumed route since “Sufa 53” began.

In some areas, digging and bulldozing continued for a long time, while in others the work stopped or slowed before resuming later.

Current developments indicate that the project is still seeing engineering work even though it reached about 80 percent completion, according to the earlier information. This means the remaining portion is not limited to finishing work at specific points, but may include new axes that the vehicles have not reached before.

This is why the vehicles’ return to Al-Ashsha and Al-Rafid carries particular significance for local residents. Completing the route at these points may determine the shape of the project’s southern section and the areas that will fall within its scope.

What Does Israel Want From the Project?

Israel presents the project as part of a new defensive system on the border with Syria. Earlier Israeli media reports had described the digging of trenches and building of earthen berms as “a means of strengthening border fortifications,” slowing any attempt to cross the border, and directing movement toward points that can be monitored and dealt with militarily.

Those reports also spoke of a shift in Israel’s security perception of the border with Syria, amid what Tel Aviv describes as “potential threats in the region.”

What Would Completing “Sufa 53” Mean?

If the work continues along the current route until the end, completing “Sufa 53” would mean the completion of a broad network of trenches, berms and supply roads along large sections of the border area. This would entrench a new reality on the ground that alters movement patterns within the area, separates parts of the land from one another, and limits residents’ access to their property and pastures.

A supply road running alongside the trenches and berms also gives Israeli forces a greater ability to move between their positions and transport equipment, depending on the nature of the structures being built.

While Israel places the project within its security vision for the border, residents find themselves facing fortifications that stretch across farmland and pastureland and redraw the routes of access to them.

Completing “Sufa 53” therefore does not simply mean the end of digging. It means the reality this route will leave on the ground: a line of fortifications stretching over long distances, military supply roads, and berms that cut off parts of the land and leave areas that their owners may struggle to reach.

The current phase, which began from the Al-Ashsha and Al-Rafid side and is heading toward the Yarmouk Basin, will be an indicator of the shape of the remaining part of the project, and of whether the work will continue in the same direction into new areas of southern Quneitra.

This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.