Israeli forces occupying parts of southern Syria since December 2024 have carried out a range of abuses against residents, including forced displacement, which is a war crime, Human Rights Watch said today. Israeli forces have seized and demolished homes, blocked residents from their property and livelihoods, and arbitrarily detained residents and transferred them to Israel.
Since the former Syrian government's collapse in December 2024, Israel has pushed deep into the UN-monitored demilitarized zone separating the Golan Heights - Syrian territory which Israel has occupied since 1967 - from the part of Quneitra governorate that remained under Syrian control, and rapidly established nine military posts stretching from Mount Hermon through Quneitra city to parts of western Daraa. It has also intensified airstrikes on military infrastructure. Since February, officials have repeatedly said they intend to "completely demilitarize" southern Syria, and, on multiple occasions, declared that forces will remain indefinitely in the newly seized territory. Recent media reports of fresh Israeli ground incursions into Quneitra village and intensified overflights across Quneitra and Daraa, underscore that operations in southern Syria are ongoing. Israel has barred tens of thousands of displaced Syrians from returning to the Golan since 1967.
"Israel's military forces operating in Syria should not have a free hand to seize homes, demolish them, and drive families out," said Hiba Zayadin, senior Syria researcher at Human Rights Watch. "Israel's recent actions in southern Syria are not legitimate acts of military necessity, but pages out of the playbook used in the occupied Palestinian territory and other parts of the region, stripping residents of basic rights and freedoms."
Between June and September 2025, Human Rights Watch interviewed eight local residents, including five residents of al-Hamidiya village whose homes were demolished, an activist and lawyer who was briefly detained by Israeli forces, a community leader, and one resident of Jubata al-Khashab village, eight kilometers away, where Israeli forces have prevented residents from accessing their agricultural lands. Researchers reviewed photographs and videos sent by interviewees and analyzed satellite imagery to corroborate accounts, establish when and where military installations were built, and measure the extent of areas razed or demolished.
Human Rights Watch also interviewed relatives and witnesses to the detention of seven Syrians since December 2024 and one child earlier in April 2024, who was 17 years old at the time. All eight people were transferred to Israel, where witnesses and relatives say they remain held incommunicado without charge. Human Rights Watch wrote to the Israeli Defense Forces on September 3, 2025, detailing its findings and inquiring about detainees. A written response was received on September 8, in which the Israeli military stated that it is operating in southern Syria "to protect the citizens of the State of Israel." Relevant elements of the response are reflected where applicable in this news release.
In al-Hamidiya, in the UN-monitored demilitarized zone along the "line of separation" with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, Israeli forces demolished at least 12 buildings on June 16, displacing eight families from their homes. Soldiers expelled the families in December 2024, the day Bashar al-Assad's government in Syria fell and later told them the expulsions and demolitions were necessary because of a newly established military installation nearby.
"Our house was closest to the military post, so it was first to be demolished," said one resident. "The land surrounding it, which we had planted with trees, was completely bulldozed along with the house. Nothing was left. we've been living under extremely difficult conditions ever since we lost our home and land."
In Jubata al-Khashab, Israeli forces constructed another military installation and began clearing large swaths of land, including a forest reserve more than a century old. Residents reported that Israeli forces denied them access to their agricultural land and grazing pastures near the installation.
Satellite imagery analyzed by Human Rights Watch confirmed that construction of both military installations began in early January 2025 less than one kilometer north of the edges of the respected villages.
International humanitarian law, under article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, prohibits the forced displacement of civilians in occupied territory except as a measure of last resort, and only if imperative military reasons demand it or if it is necessary for the security of the civilian population itself. A lawful evacuation must also comply with strict procedural and humanitarian safeguards: civilians must be moved humanely, to adequate accommodation, with provision for their safety, welfare, and return as soon as hostilities permit. Unjustified forced displacement in occupied territory is a war crime. Israel is also prohibited from transferring detainees outside the occupied territory into Israel, regardless of allegations. Destruction of civilian property is likewise prohibited unless absolutely required by ongoing military operations, meaning it must be directly linked to and strictly required by active combat, not justified by long-term strategic or security considerations.
The Israeli military asserted that its activities are "in accordance with international law," that the al-Hamidiya demolitions were "necessary operational" measures with "no civilians … residing in the buildings," and that arrests and transfers to Israel were intelligence-based and subject to judicial review. However, Israel's documented actions in southern Syria violated the laws of war.
In al-Hamidiya, there was no evacuation plan; soldiers stormed the area and physically expelled residents without any arrangement for their safety, shelter, or return. There were also no active hostilities in the area during the expulsions, the construction of military installations, home demolitions, or since.
Rather than responding to an immediate threat, Israeli forces appear to have cleared and destroyed homes as part of a broader strategy to entrench their military presence. Even if officials' references to an indefinite presence do not alone prove intent to permanently displace, the demolitions, construction of fixed military infrastructure, and continuing access restrictions make near-term return effectively impossible and undercut any claim that the displacement is strictly temporary.
The Israeli military letter did not specifically address its actions in Jubata al-Khashab or the April 2024 detention of a 17-year-old from the village, and provided no detention locations, or information on access to counsel or family for any of the seven other detainees whose cases Human Rights Watch documented.
Governments should suspend military support to Israel as long its forces continue to commit widespread, serious abuses, including war crimes, with impunity. Governments should also review and, where appropriate, suspend bilateral cooperation and ban trade with settlements, including in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights.
The US, EU, UK, and others should push for accountability through universal-jurisdiction cases and support for the International Criminal Court (ICC) proceedings. They should also impose targeted sanctions against Israeli officials responsible for ongoing serious violations of international humanitarian law, including blocking displaced Syrians' return, and keep them until verifiable steps enable safe, voluntary, and dignified return, Human Rights Watch said.
"The inaction of other governments in response to Israel's unlawful conduct across the region is allowing it to apply its repressive tactics with impunity," Zayadin said. "The international community should act now to suspend military support, impose targeted measures, and back accountability, including at the ICC."
Displacement, Home Demolitions in al-Hamidiya
Israeli forces entered al-Hamidiya village on December 8, 2024, the day former president Bashar al-Assad was ousted. "They entered our village riding on two [armored vehicles], they pointed their weapons at us and shouted in Hebrew, a language we couldn't understand," said one displaced resident. "Out of fear, I fled the house with my children, we didn't even take any clothes with us. We left everything behind."
Another woman said that Israeli soldiers raided her home that day: "They arrived in tanks, heavily armed, carrying large backpacks, and stormed into our home. It was clear from their behavior that they intended to stay." The soldiers pointed their guns at her and her two daughters, while forcing her husband and son into a separate room at gunpoint. "My daughters and I were held like that from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. My husband and son weren't released until 11:00 p.m. that night. The soldiers sat in our living room, laughing and speaking a language we didn't understand, as if it was their house."
Eventually, the family was ordered to leave without being allowed to take any belongings. "Since then, we've been living in one small room in my parents' house [in al-Hamidiya]," she said. The family has lived in these overcrowded conditions ever since. "Israeli forces came back to the village from time to time. We kept asking to return or at least collect our things, but they always said no 'for security reasons' or that they would 'assess our request.'"
Another resident also described being forced out of his home at gunpoint by Israeli forces that day. His family also wasn't allowed to take anything with them. "Just the clothes we were wearing," he said. He took shelter with relatives in a nearby village, while other family members stayed with families elsewhere in al-Hamidiya, he said. "For six months, we tried to negotiate with the Israeli forces to either return to our homes or at least retrieve our furniture. Their response was always: 'We're studying the matter,' with no real action taken."
One woman said that her family was among the few allowed to briefly return to their homes in February and retrieve what remained. "When I got there," she said, "the house was in chaos. Many items had been stolen. The only things left were my refrigerator and washing machine."
Satellite imagery collected over al-Hamidiya confirms that the construction of the military installation, less than 500 meters northeast of the village, began after January 1, 2025.
On the night of June 16, Israeli bulldozers entered the northern edge of al-Hamidiya. "From 9:30 p.m. until 5:00 a.m., they flattened the area completely," a resident said. They left no foundations, nothing, leveled everything to the ground. By morning, people found nothing left."
One woman and her children, who initially took shelter with relatives and later stayed in a vacant home offered by another family in al-Hamidiya village, described what it felt like to watch them demolish her home that night: "I still had hope that I would soon return. "Every day, I looked at my house from a distance and cried, dreaming of going back. Then one night, in the dark, I saw and heard the bulldozers destroying my dream. I cried all night, helpless, unable to stop them or do anything at all."
Her house, which she said her family had rebuilt in 2018 after it was shelled and destroyed during the Syrian war, had four rooms and a large garden filled with grapevines. The Israeli military even uprooted the vines, she said.
"When we returned in 2018, I had to rebuild it, block by block," she said. "We cut back on all our expenses, even food, and had to borrow money from relatives just to rebuild the house, because we couldn't afford to rent. We had to buy everything again, the washing machine, refrigerator, TV, and sofa, all from scratch. And now, once again, I have to start from nothing."
All five families interviewed are temporarily living with relatives either elsewhere in al-Hamidiya or in nearby villages. "I am currently living in a single room with my parents' family," one person said. "My original home was two stories, and now we're living in just one room. I have a wife and three children."
Human Rights Watch, through analysis of satellite imagery, confirmed the destruction of at least 12 buildings less than 250 meters west of a newly established Israeli military installation.
Lower resolution satellite imagery captured on June 16 at 11:46 a.m. local time over al-Hamidiya shows no sign of damage. Twenty-four hours later, an image captured on June 17 at 11:38 a.m. local time shows a cluster of destroyed buildings on the northern edge of the village.
Cutting off Access to Livelihoods and Destruction of Trees in Jubata al-Khashab
Displaced residents from Jubata al-Khashab described being cut off from the agricultural lands and natural resources that sustained their families and communities. They said that Israeli forces either bulldozed or fenced off farmland, grazing areas, and tree groves. "The land surrounding [our house], which we had planted with trees, was completely bulldozed along with the house," one woman said. "Nothing is left."
"We own agricultural land with a total area of 50 dunams [5 hectares]," another said. "Part of it was cultivated with wheat or barley, while the other part was used for grazing sheep." She said that Israeli forces built a high earthen berm that cut off access to the entire plot, placing it under full military control.
One resident said his family had been barred from lands that had made up half of their annual income. "Among them: an area of approximately 750 square meters is now part of the newly established military installation set up by the Israeli enemy on our land; one dunam [1000 square meters] of land located in front of our house; and the house garden, which also covers an area of one dunam," he said. These areas had been planted with fruit-bearing trees like olives and cherries, as well as wheat and barley. "They were a primary source of income for us and our family."
Another said that Israeli forces barred people from grazing their herds on agricultural land and had seized large areas of those lands. "Many residents were forced to sell their sheep due to the lack of grazing areas," she said. "As for me, the trees on my land were uprooted, and my house was demolished. I am now completely banned from accessing the property, approximately one dunam."
Satellite imagery collected over Jubata al-Khashab confirms that the construction of the military installation, less than a kilometer northwest of the village, began after January 1.
Since construction began, the installation established adjacent to the forest has resulted in razing dozens, if not hundreds, of trees. As of June, more than 45 hectares, approximately 25 percent of the Jubata al-Khashab's forest, located north of the village, have been completely cleared.
Jubata al-Khashab's forest May 6, 2025: Satellite imagery: May 6, 2025 © 2025 Planet Labs PBC. Analysis and Graphic © 2025 Human Rights Watch. Jubata al-Khashab's forest September 6, 2025: Satellite imagery: September 6, 2025 © 2025 Planet Labs PBC. Analysis and Graphic © 2025 Human Rights Watch.
Israeli forces entered Jubata al-Khashab on December 15, shortly after their incursion into other parts of Quneitra governorate, a community leader said: "They established military units on the lands of Jubata al-Khashab and began removing trees from the forest reserve." He said that Israeli forces had razed fruit-bearing trees planted by the Quneitra municipality in the 1990s and claimed the trees obstructed military visibility and posed a potential security risk.
Another forested area west of Jubata al-Khashab also shows clear signs of razing since construction of the military installation began, with the extent of deforestation increasing dramatically since early June.
At least one third of the forest has been completely destroyed. Residents were shown a map outlining the areas slated for clearance only after 10 dunams (1 hectare) of fruit trees had already been uprooted, the community leader said.
He also said that many residents have been denied access to their agricultural land and grazing pastures. "For me personally, I have around 300 dunams [30 hectares] of land, which I've been prevented from accessing," he said, noting that about a third had been cultivated with grain and the rest used for grazing sheep and cattle. Another 7,000 dunams (700 hectares) of community-owned lands, planted with olives, apples, and cherries, have also been fenced off with barbed wire or absorbed into military zones, he said. He noted that the economic impact has been severe: "Nearly half of the farmers' income was lost when they were cut off from their lands," he said. "None of this destruction has been compensated or addressed."
Another village resident said: "My village, Jubata al-Khashab, and neighboring areas have seen extensive bulldozing of farmland [by Israeli forces], including orchards filled with fruit-bearing trees such as apples, cherries, apricots, and olives, many of which were over 30 years old." In May, Israeli forces bulldozed his farm plot, along with olive trees over 25 years old, and seized 1 hectare of his land.
In meetings with community representatives, the community leader said that Israeli officers cited the absence of Syrian state authority and threats of infiltration as justification for occupying civilian areas and searching homes for weaponry in villages near the separation line. Israeli officials, they said, also invoked developments in Gaza to justify these actions, even as Human Rights Watch has found that Israel's conduct there amounts to the crime against humanity of extermination and acts of genocide.
None of the residents interviewed reported receiving any compensation or remedy, or advance notification or arrangements for safe accommodation.
The destruction of homes and farmland and restrictions on access to land and water violate the rights of protected people and can amount to unlawful collective punishment and denial of livelihood, underscoring Israel's failure to meet its obligations toward the civilian population under occupation.
Detentions and Forced Transfer to Israel
Israeli forces have also arbitrarily detained several Syrians in southern Syria, some of whom have been transferred to Israel and are being held without charge, witnesses said.
On June 12, at approximately 2:30 a.m., Israeli forces raided the village of Beit Jinn in the Damascus countryside, three kilometers west of the disengagement line. They arrested seven men and killed one man with a cognitive disability, said two village residents and relatives of the detainees, who provided their names and ages. The seven detainees are: Ahmad Hussein al-Safadi (born 1991), Mohammad Hussein al-Safadi (born 1986), Hossam Mohammad al-Safadi (born 1994), Amer Mohammad al-Badawi (born 1984), Mohammad Badi' Hamadeh (born 1992), Ali Qassem Hamadeh (born 1982), Ma'moun Mohammad al-Saadi (born 1983).
The brother of one detainee said he received a phone call from his brother's wife around 2:45 a.m., telling him that Israeli forces had raided the house and arrested his brother, Amer al-Badawi, 41, who has four children. The relative said he immediately drove to his brother's nearby home, but that Israeli forces blocked him, pointed their weapons at him, forced him to the ground, and confiscated his phone. When his son arrived shortly afterward, the Israeli forces treated him similarly.
"The whole operation was sudden and terrifying, especially for the children and women," the relative said, saying that Israeli forces unleashed police dogs on the women and used stun grenades and live ammunition, causing widespread panic. When the man with the cognitive disability "saw the soldiers, he shouted, 'Allahu Akbar, the thieves have come!' and they immediately shot him six times and killed him on the spot."
A second resident, a relative of three men detained that night, confirmed the events. He said that Israeli forces who stormed the village included over 100 soldiers, backed by armored vehicles, military machinery, and police dogs, and that three of the men arrested were his cousins.
The Israeli military has claimed that the men arrested belong to the Palestinian armed group Hamas and that its nighttime operation, "based on intelligence gathered in recent weeks," led to the arrest of "several Hamas terrorists" planning "multiple terror plots" against Israeli civilians and Israeli troops in Syria. It said that it had transferred the detainees into Israel for further interrogation. Asked whether anyone was killed in its raid, the Israeli military told Reuters that shots were fired and "a hit was identified" when one of the suspects attempted to flee; in a subsequent letter to Human Rights Watch, it said the suspect approached the forces in a manner that threatened their safety and was shot dead.
Speaking to Reuters, a spokesperson from Syria's Interior Ministry contradicted the claim that the men arrested were members of Hamas saying that they were civilians from the area.
"Until now, we don't know where my brother is or what charges he is facing," said the brother of one of the men, insisting that the men have no political ties. "No one knows where they are being held, and there is still no way to contact them inside Israeli territory," He said that the men are "farmers and shepherds, and most of them are illiterate."
Mohammad Fayyad, a Syrian activist and lawyer from Quneitra, said that Israeli forces have arrested more than 20 people since December. Most have since been released. He said he was briefly detained on January 7 in the village of al-Hamidiya as he and a French journalist, Sylvain Mercadier, were covering the Israeli incursion, wearing press vests.
"We were taken to the Governorate Building in Quneitra," he said, where Israeli forces had set up a presence. "My eyes were blindfolded, and our devices were searched and destroyed." He said they were falsely accused of having links to Hezbollah. After 14 hours, both men were released without charge.
One resident of Jubata al-Khashab said that Israeli forces arrested his 17-year-old son on April 25, 2024, while he was working on his family's farmland inside the UN-monitored buffer zone. The boy was carrying a UN-issued permit card, which grants farmers and shepherds access to land near the demarcation line. Israeli forces transferred him to the juvenile section of Ofer prison in the occupied West Bank, where he has been held under administrative detention, without charge and incommunicado.
The family has had no direct contact with him since his arrest, his father said. He said that the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is the only organization to have visited him since his arrest, confirming his location and that his health is stable.
Under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, detention of a child is a last resort for the shortest appropriate period, and every detained child must have prompt access to legal assistance and regular contact with family, except in exceptional circumstances.
