On Wednesday, September 17, 2025, the Syrian Network for Human Rights documented the arbitrary detention of four civilians by Israeli occupation forces following a ground incursion supported by military vehicles in the towns of Jabata al-Khashab, Khan Arnabeh, and the village of Ofaniya in the northern Quneitra countryside.
According to information obtained by the Network from its field teams, the Israeli occupation forces detained them after raiding their homes in the aforementioned towns. They were forcibly transferred to an unknown location, which constitutes a form of arbitrary detention prohibited under international human rights law.
We are continuing our investigations, including reviewing and collecting further evidence and information. Therefore, we hope that anyone who has information or details related to this incident will provide them to us via our official email: [email protected]
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 requirement 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 within 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 violates the rules of international law.
- The detention of civilians in their villages constitutes a repressive measure that impacts economic and social rights. It indicates the targeting of civilians based on their local environment or geographical location, and constitutes prohibited retaliatory conduct.
- Repeated incursions, the occupation of military barracks inside Syria, and 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 wider grave violations.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights strongly condemns the Israeli ground incursions, raids, and arbitrary detention of civilians, and emphasizes that these practices constitute a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. In this context, the Syrian Network for Human Rights recommends the following:
- Clear international condemnation of the illegal 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.
- Demand 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 harm.
- Deploy international monitoring forces or expand 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.
