On Wednesday, July 31, 2025, the Syrian Network for Human Rights documented the arbitrary detention of four civilians by Israeli occupation forces during a ground incursion supported by military vehicles into the village of Umm al-Adham in the Quneitra countryside.
According to information obtained by the network from its field teams, Israeli occupation forces detained them as they passed through a temporary checkpoint established by Israeli occupation forces in the village of Umm al-Adham and forcibly transferred them to an unknown location. The network documented their release the same day, but without any clear legal procedures, which makes their detention arbitrary, prohibited under international human rights law.
Legal Conclusions:
- The detention of the four civilians without a judicial warrant, a clear security imperative, or charges, and without respect for fair trial guarantees, constitutes arbitrary detention under Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which prohibits deprivation of liberty without legal basis.
- Since the detained civilians are residents of a temporarily occupied territory (due to the Israeli military incursion), their forcible transfer to a military facility of the occupying power constitutes a violation of Articles 49 and 147 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibit the forcible transfer and unlawful detention of protected persons.
- According to Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions (Article 75), all detained persons must be treated humanely, with respect for their legal rights. This was not respected in this incident, neither in terms of the legal basis for detention, nor in terms of its duration or location.
- The Israeli military incursion and detention operations inside Syrian territory constitute a flagrant violation of Article 2(4) of the UN Charter, which prohibits the use of force against the territorial integrity of any Member State. It constitutes an act of aggression that contravenes the rules of international law.
- The detention of civilians while they are in their villages constitutes a repressive measure that impacts economic and social rights and indicates the targeting of civilians based on their local environment or geographical location. This conduct is retaliatory and prohibited.
- The repeated incursions and occupation of military barracks inside Syria, as well as the implementation of security operations and detentions, are practices that perpetuate an unrecognized occupation and may pave the way for demographic change or the imposition of a de facto military authority, threatening broader grave violations.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights’ recommendations:
- Clear international condemnation of the unlawful detention by the Israeli occupation forces, considering it a violation of the Geneva Conventions and the UN Charter, requiring legal accountability.
- Calling on the UN Security Council and Human Rights Council to investigate the incident, through mechanisms such as the International Independent Mechanism (IIIM), and document it within the pattern of Israeli violations in southern Syria.
- Demanding that Israel disclose details of the detention process, provide public legal justifications, and compensate the detained civilians for the violations they suffered, including material and moral damage.
- Deploying international monitoring forces or expanding the scope of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) to include monitoring cases of detention and violations against civilians in the Syrian border areas.
- Activate international criminal accountability tools, especially the International Criminal Court (ICC), to consider classifying these practices as war crimes related to unlawful detention in occupied or disputed territories.
- Improve civilian protection in conflict zones by establishing local early warning networks and documenting unauthorized foreign troop movements, in cooperation with civil society organizations and local human rights activists.
