UN Warns of Growing Civilian Crisis as Israel Expands Syria Operations
"We are receiving mounting protection concerns for civilians in southern Syria, where expanding operations by Israeli forces occupying these areas are placing lives at risk," spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan told reporters in Geneva.
Al-Kheetan outlined a broad pattern of rights violations, noting that freedoms tied to family life and privacy were being systematically curtailed, while livelihoods — particularly those of farming communities — faced severe disruption. He cited documented accounts of harassment, intimidation, arbitrary detentions, interrogations, home searches, and movement restrictions imposed on residents, with Quneitra governorate emerging as a focal point where Israeli forces have reportedly established checkpoints, raided homes, and detained civilians.
The scale of detentions has drawn particular concern. According to Syrian authorities, at least 250 individuals — among them children — have been arrested across southern Syria since the collapse of the former government, with 50 still in custody. Some detainees have reportedly been transferred to prisons inside the Israeli-occupied Syrian Golan.
Al-Kheetan also flagged Israel's reported plans to expand settlements in the occupied Syrian Golan — including a scheme to relocate 3,000 new Israeli families to the area — describing such measures as a direct violation of international humanitarian law.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk used even sharper language, calling on Israel "to bring an end to all violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law in Syria," and asserting that settlement activity "must also stop."
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