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Amnesty International has called for an independent international investigation into Israel’s ongoing military actions in southern Syria, warning that the destruction of civilian homes may amount to serious violations of international law and possible “war crimes.”
The report highlights continued Israeli operations following the fall of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, a period during which Syria’s sovereignty has remained under intense pressure amid ongoing regional instability.
According to Amnesty, Israeli occupation forces moved into the UN-patrolled demilitarized zone in the occupied Golan Heights and carried out repeated incursions into southern Syrian territory, particularly in Quneitra Governorate, where several villages were forcibly evacuated.
The rights group stated that Israeli forces subsequently demolished or heavily damaged at least 23 civilian structures over a six-month period, relying on satellite imagery and witness testimonies confirming the destruction of homes belonging to local Syrian families.
Residents described being forced to flee their villages as their homes were bulldozed or blown up, with entire residential areas left in ruins.
“Securing Israel's border cannot be used to justify bulldozing and blowing up people's homes and villages on the territory of another country,” said Kristine Beckerle, Amnesty’s deputy regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, condemning the actions as unlawful collective punishment against civilians.
Amnesty International further urged Israel to provide reparations for what it described as grave breaches of international humanitarian law and to immediately halt all operations targeting civilian infrastructure in southern Syria.
Despite ongoing political discussions between Damascus’ new authorities under Ahmad al-Sharaa and Israeli officials, Israeli attacks and incursions in southern Syria have reportedly continued, raising concerns over Israel’s broader strategy in the post-Assad regional landscape.
Israel has occupied most of the Golan Heights since 1967, a territory widely recognized as Syrian land under international law. In recent months, reports indicate further Israeli military entrenchment and expansion into areas including strategic positions such as Mount Hermon, reinforcing what Syrian officials and rights groups describe as an ongoing violation of Syrian sovereignty and territorial integrity. (ILKHA)
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