On Wednesday, June 4, 2025, fixed-wing aircraft of the Israeli occupation forces carried out a series of airstrikes, beginning at approximately 00:30 local time and lasting approximately two hours. The attacks targeted military sites in the governorates of Daraa, Quneitra, and Rif Dimashq. These sites are empty since the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime on December 8, 2024.
According to what the Syrian Network for Human Rights monitored based on local field sources, the raids included the following locations:
- The 175th Regiment, north of the city of Izraa in the northern Daraa countryside.
- Tal al-Mahas, west of the city of Jassem in the northern Daraa countryside.
- Tal al-Mal, west of the village of al-Mal in the northern Daraa countryside.
- Tal al-Shaar, east of the town of Jaba in the Quneitra countryside.
- The 90th Brigade, in the Quneitra countryside.
- The 121st Brigade, in the vicinity of the town of Kanaker, west of Rif Dimashq Governorate.
The raids caused extensive damage to military infrastructure and sparked panic among civilians living near the targeted sites.
SNHR also emphasizes that repeated Israeli attacks, although most of them target military sites, often endanger civilians and may result in casualties if they occur near population centers.
Legal Conclusions
The Israeli airstrikes inside Syrian territory constitute a clear violation of Article 2(4) of the United Nations Charter, which prohibits the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity of any Member State. The principle of self-defense (Article 51) does not apply in this case, as there is no imminent threat or Syrian armed attack against Israel to justify these strikes.
Targeting military sites inside Syria, without an armed conflict between the two parties, and without a Security Council resolution or legal authorization, constitutes an unlawful act of aggression. Even if the targeted sites are of a military nature, launching airstrikes on them outside a clear legal framework violates the fundamental principles of international law and constitutes a clear violation of the prohibition on the use of force in international relations.
The failure of Israeli forces to issue any advance warning to the civilian population prior to an attack violates the legal obligation to take all feasible precautions to minimize civilian casualties, in accordance with Article 57 of the same protocol.
The continuation of Israeli airstrikes, in the absence of clear strategic or legal justifications, and after the withdrawal of Iranian militias and the fall of the Assad regime, indicates a systematic policy of terrorizing the population and forcibly imposing a security reality, threatening international peace and security.
These airstrikes constitute a violation of the disengagement agreement between Syria and Israel, which stipulates a cessation of direct military operations and avoidance of escalation.
Recommendations by SNHR
- To the UN Security Council: Call for an emergency session to condemn this attack as a violation of the UN Charter and international humanitarian law and demand an end to all unlawful Israeli attacks on Syrian territory.
- To the International Commission of Inquiry on Syria and the International Independent Mechanism (IIIM): Document this incident in the register of violations related to the use of force outside the framework of international law.
- To the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF): Although the targeted areas are outside the Force’s deployment area, it must submit a report on the broader impact of the escalation of Israeli air attacks on regional security.
- Include the incident in the annual reports on violations in armed conflicts and attach documentary files and testimonies for presentation to the Human Rights Council and relevant UN mechanisms.
