On Friday, April 3, 2026, Osama Fahd al-Fahd al-Nuaimi was killed when his car was struck by a tank shell fired by Israeli occupation forces as he was driving through the al-Za’rura area in the southern countryside of Quneitra Governorate. The targeted area is under the administrative control of the Syrian government.
According to documentation by the Syrian Network for Human Rights, the shell was fired directly at Osama’s car while he was inside it in the al-Za’rura area, killing him instantly. According to documented information, the forces that targeted the car were positioned within the disengagement line, near the armored vehicle company, in the vicinity of the village of al-Mu’allaqa in the southern countryside of Quneitra Governorate.
We are continuing our investigations, including reviewing and gathering further evidence and information. Therefore, we urge anyone with information or details related to this incident to provide them to us via our official email address: [email protected]
Legal Conclusions:
- The bombing that killed civilian Osama al-Nuaimi constitutes a grave violation of international humanitarian law.
- The Israeli bombing of Syrian territory is a direct violation of Article 2(4) of the UN Charter, which prohibits any state from using force or the threat of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any other state.
- In the absence of a clear legal justification, this bombing constitutes an act of aggression prohibited under the UN Charter.
- Article 51 of the UN Charter permits the use of force only in response to an existing or imminent armed attack. Since the bombing was not the result of a direct threat from within Syrian territory (as reported), Israel has no legal basis for this use of force.
- This bombing constitutes a violation of the agreement signed between Syria and Israel under UN auspices, which stipulates respect for the ceasefire lines and de-escalation, particularly in the southern region of Syria monitored by the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF). This bombing is part of a recurring pattern of Israeli incursions and attacks on southern Syria, which likely constitutes a policy of collective intimidation, paving the way for the imposition of military or political arrangements by force, a behavior that contravenes international law and threatens regional peace.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights recommends:
- The Security Council should immediately condemn the attack, considering it a violation of the UN Charter and the Disengagement Agreement, and call on Israel to immediately cease all acts of aggression against Syrian territory, particularly those resulting in civilian casualties.
- The United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) should conduct a field investigation into the incident and submit a detailed report to the Security Council on the Israeli violation, including the location of the attack and its human and material consequences.
- The UN Secretary-General should activate the early warning mechanism regarding military violations in the Syrian border areas and work to prevent further escalation.
- The International Criminal Court should investigate the recurring pattern of Israeli attacks in Syria, as they may constitute crimes of aggression or grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions, especially if they result in civilian casualties.
- A formal complaint should be submitted on behalf of the Syrian Arab Republic (represented by the Syrian government) to the UN General Assembly, pursuant to Article 35 of the Charter, to document the aggression and call on the international community to take a collective stance.
