Following on from an interview conducted with a source in the al-Qunaytra locality of al-Rafid that lies on the border with the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights, I present here another interview with a person from a nearby locality called Kudna, which has also seen Israeli incursions.
The interview gives considerable insight into an apparent Israeli ‘carrot-and-stick’ approach towards the local population, local sentiment about the Israeli presence, whether there is any hint of a local armed insurgency against the Israeli presence, and the broader issue of ‘normalisation’ of relations between Syria and Israel. This interview was conducted on 1 September.
Q: How are things?
A: Oh brother Aymenn, by God, I am fine, but our situation is not good with the Israeli army.
Q: What happened?
A: They entered my house on Thursday-Friday morning at 3 a.m. They took my pistol and took my passport and those of my children, and they inspected my entire house, even though I keep to myself and do not approach anyone. For a year I have been digging and looking for coins and antiques to sell, and I provide money for my children. By God I am troubled, and I haven’t slept in two days. But may God provide deliverance, brother Aymenn. They [the Israelis] are offering relief aid to the people, and there are people who don’t want to take it. Sometimes you fell that the Israelis are good, and sometimes you feel they are difficult to deal with. I don’t know frankly: the children are afraid. My children are afraid. I have six children. They took their passports and I am supposed to reunify with my wife in Germany while the children are with me. My children and I have been living alone for three years: they took our passports and so now we can no longer travel.
Q: Did they ask you anything, for example with which group do you work, or for example about Daesh [Islamic State] or Hezbollah?
A: Yes. They said: ‘We received information about you being connected to Liwa al-Quds.’ I have never had anything to do with this. I was imprisoned by Bashar’s army, and we sold our land so I could get out of prison. Thus my wife travelled, because I fled from the army. We hate Iran and Hezbollah, and all the Syrian people hate them.
Q: Do you mean the Liwa al-Quds that worked with the Russians?
A: Yes, but I don’t know whether they meant this Liwa al-Quds that was affiliated with the Russians or someone else. I don’t know. I did not work with anyone. I was in prison and got out in 2019 and they took me for military service, and then I deserted from the army, and my wife travelled so we could be reunited. We have been waiting three years to be reunited. They stopped the reunification process for us. By God my children are scattered about with each child living in a house among their maternal aunts.
Q: In general what do the people of Kudna think of the Israeli army’s actions? Are there people who want to bear arms against the army?
A: Impossible. These thoughts are not just in Kudna but all the region along the border. People were hoping that Israel would provide them electricity and improve people’s situation, not entering at night and terrifying young children on the pretext of Hezbollah or other entities besides it. I tell you: Hezbollah and Iran have no ground presence or support base at all. The matter is impossible. But in truth there is fear that Islamic movements are operating. This is the scary thing, nothing more, because the people here want to be secure and at peace and raise their children, and these Islamic movements are active when there are complaints on the part of civilians.
Q: But people right now prefer to negotiate with the army?
A: You mean the Israeli army.
Q: Yes.
A: Listen, our people in the area are peaceful and there is no densely populated area. All the inhabitants live in small villages and live off the livestock and agriculture: simple people. They have no basic components for life. They eagerly wanted Bashar to fall. And when Bashar fell and Israel entered, people took it as good tidings: good, there will be peace, and the country will be set in order and people will live and raise their children. But the situation is getting worse. The agreements were being arranged on the outside between the two governments [the Syrian and Israeli], but what is the fate of these people: we who live on the border? Our relations with the Druze- praise be to God- are good: that is, we as the al-Tahhan family. And most of the villages consist of simple clans. They don’t cause trouble. There may be individual cases that can be controlled, but in general the people are good and simple. Now we come into a situation like that in the days of Bashar: the one who has relations with the Israeli army and gets annoyed with his neighbour informs on him saying that he is Hezbollah and Iran, lying in order to harm him. The Israeli army must verify every report and ensure there is no injustice.
Q: Do people accept Israeli aid?
A: The people see that the Israeli army is distributing relief aid for the people, and there is a slice of the community that says: ‘You must not take this aid.’ But the majority are in need and take it.
Q: What do people think the Israeli army wants exactly?
A: They say the Israeli army wants peace.
Q: In short do you yourself support the idea of peace between Syria and Israel?
A: Frankly yes, by God. Don’t get angry with me if you are against this idea, but we had a regime ruling for 50 years and it was in opposition to Israel, and what were the results? Let us look at the matter from the standpoint of reason, right? In Israel, all the sects live, right? Regardless of events that are happening, but there are hidden things happening on the scene. In my view, peace is inevitably coming, in my opinion.
Q: With normalisation of relations or just ceasefire?
A: No, with normalisation of relations. What’s your opinion? Perhaps we can discuss this particular.
Q: In truth, I expect some sort of revival of the ceasefire agreement, but the Palestinian cause has a popular support base in Syria, which makes normalisation of relations difficult, right? Especially with the events in Gaza.
A: In truth your words are logical but time will ensure the strengthening of relations, because the peoples today have become peoples of interest, and everyone is looking for his interest. The events in Gaza are caused by Iran in my view, and Iran has only brought ruin, bloodshed and wars to these peoples.
Q: Could you say more about what you think of what is happening in Gaza?
A: What is happening in Gaza, from a humanitarian point of view: one cannot collectively punish people, because collective punishment is an error in all respects. You cannot punish an entire sect, village or town. As for Hamas, in truth I tell you that its project is Iranian, and it is possible for Iran to want to see the Arabs doing well. In truth I tell you the children and women must have camps secured for them and not be hit. Let the war be army to army. This is what I think.
Q: Finally what is your message to the Syrian government? As in, what should it do in dealing with the issue of the Israeli incursion into the south?
A: Dear brother, the Syrian government must pay attention to al-Qunaytra province and not neglect the tribes. It is making many mistakes. It must reach a solution with Israel just like the rest of the Arab states. The solution is mutual agreement on protection of the borders and signing agreements that guarantee peace for the two sides and joint cooperation to protect the borders in principle.
Published originally on September 2, 2025.
