Israeli forces forcibly displacing residents of southern Syria: HRW
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Human Rights Watch accuses "Israel" of war crimes in southern Syria, citing forced displacement, arbitrary arrests, and demolitions in the Golan Heights "buffer zone".
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Israeli combat reservists and tank forces take part in training drills in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, Thursday, January 4, 2024. (AP)
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused "Israel" of committing war crimes in Syria’s south, including the forced displacement of residents and the demolition of homes in the occupied Golan Heights buffer zone.
HRW said "Israeli forces occupying parts of southern Syria since December 2024 have carried out a range of abuses against residents, including forced displacement."
The group added that testimonies, satellite imagery, and visual evidence corroborated accounts of arbitrary arrests and the blocking of livelihoods.
The Israeli military responded that its operations aimed “to protect the citizens of the State of Israel” and insisted they were conducted “in accordance with international law.”
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Damascus, Washington, and security talks
The report coincides with Syrian state media reports that Israeli forces detained several people in the south. A day earlier, Damascus announced it was working with Washington to reach mutual “security understandings” with "Israel".
A Syrian military official told AFP that heavy weapons had been withdrawn from the south as part of a US- and Jordan-backed roadmap for stability, launched after the violence erupted in Sweida earlier this year.
State television reported that Israeli forces raided villages in the Quneitra province early Wednesday, detaining four men during home searches near the UN-patrolled buffer zone.
The Israeli army told AFP that troops apprehended suspects “involved in terrorist activity targeting (Israeli) troops in various areas of Syria” and transferred them to "Israel" for questioning. Earlier this month, seven others were detained under similar circumstances.
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'Israel' expands presence after al-Assad’s fall
Following the ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on December 8, "Israel" deployed troops into the Golan Heights "buffer zone" established after the 1973 war.
Since then, "Israel" has carried out airstrikes across Syria and incursions deeper into the south, even while engaging in talks with interim authorities.
HRW stressed that forced displacement, arbitrary detention, and the destruction of homes are violations of international law and constitute war crimes. The organization urged greater accountability for ongoing abuses in Syria.
