On February 18, 2025, Israeli occupation force, stationed in the occupied Golan Heights, carried out an artillery attack targeting the Yarmouk Valley area near Ein Thakar village in western Daraa governorate. The attack did not result in any human casualties or tangible material damage. The area targeted is under the authority of the current transitional government in Syria.
This attack is part of a systematic policy aimed at intimidating local residents and imposing a new security reality, which contradicts the principles of international law. It constitutes a blatant violation of the sovereignty of the Syrian Arab Republic and a breach of Article (2/4) of the United Nations Charter, which prohibits the use of force against the territorial integrity of any member state. Furthermore, it contradicts Article (51) of the Charter, which permits the use of force only in cases of self-defense—conditions that were not met in this attack.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) must stress that the justifications presented by Israeli forces for their attacks on Syrian territory are no longer valid, especially following the fall of Bashar Assad’s regime on December 8, 2024, the withdrawal of Iranian militias from Syria, and the return of the Syrian army under the leadership of the transitional government.
Israel’s continued use of military force to intimidate civilians and destabilize southern Syria constitutes a flagrant violation of the 1949 Geneva Conventions, which oblige all parties to protect civilians and ensure their safety.
Accordingly, SNHR calls on the international community to take immediate action to halt these repeated violations, ensure respect for Syria’s sovereignty, and hold Israel accountable for its unlawful practices that threaten security and stability in the region.
