IMAGE: Israeli forces established an advanced military position at “Al-Mantara Dam” in the Quneitra area of the Golan Heights, according to Al Arabiya/Al Hadath correspondent. January 2, 2025 (Source: Syria TV)

Israeli military forces have established fortified positions and developed advanced military infrastructure in various locations within the Quneitra countryside of Syria. Since December 24, these forces have achieved considerable control over the Al-Mantara Dam, a crucial water resource in the region, which could have significant repercussions for both Syria and its neighbouring country, Jordan.

The Al-Mantara Dam is not only a key water supply for Quneitra, but also for its adjacent rural areas, and the Daraa Governorate. Reports from the local population indicate that movement in and out of the occupied territories is severely restricted, with Israeli forces enforcing regulated schedules for civilian access.

This manoeuvre by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) bears a striking resemblance to a well-documented strategy previously employed by the Islamic State (IS) in Syria and Iraq, where IS utilized water resources to advance its military and political objectives by seizing control of major dams and reservoirs along the Euphrates and Tigris rivers as part of their territorial expansion.

Tobias von Lossow, a doctoral researcher at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, SWP Middle East and Africa Division,  authored a compelling study entitled “Water as Weapon: IS on the Euphrates and Tigris”. In this work, he explores the strategic significance of dams and reservoirs to the Islamic State (IS).

Extract from Lossow 2016 study:

“[i]n the sense of military tools, “Water as Weapon” – is much more complex and primarily serves to put pressure on the population and the opponents’ political leadership. Drastic interventions in water and electricity supplies are meant to break resistance and gain the support of the population by force, or else drive it out. The aim can also be to destroy agriculture and food production and render whole areas uninhabitable.”

In 2023, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN Human Rights) highlighted Israel’s use of “Water as a Weapon,” raising concerns about the potential for history to repeat itself.

Earlier this week, the Israeli media reported that the press was not welcome at the dam, denying a television crew from the Egyptian Al-Rad channel from filming the site.