UN investigators: Israeli operations in Syria may amount to war crimes

Spread the love

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License

A view of military vehicles patrolling the Syrian-Israeli border in the Majdal Shams area of the Golan Heights, as the Israeli army reinforces its ground forces amid ongoing military mobilization in the region on December 15, 2024. [Saeed Qaq – Anadolu Agency]

UN investigators said on Tuesday that Israeli operations in Syria, including the detention of dozens of people, may amount to “war crimes”.

 “We are deeply alarmed by violations of human rights and international humanitarian law by Israel on Syrian territory, which may amount to war crimes,” Commissioner Fionnuala Ni Aolain told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government in December 2024, Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes on Syria, mainly targeting military sites. Israel has said the strikes are aimed at preventing the new authorities from taking control of the former regime’s weapons stockpiles.

Israeli forces have also moved beyond the buffer zone bordering the Golan Heights, most of which Israel has occupied since 1967, reaching Mount Hermon on the border between Lebanon and Syria. Israel has said it intends to establish a demilitarised zone in southern Syria, while Israeli officials have repeatedly said its forces have no plans to withdraw.

READ: Israeli forces raid, search home in southwestern Syria’s Quneitra province: State media

Ní Aoláin said Israeli military activity in southern Syria was escalating and becoming “increasingly sustained and entrenched”, involving ground incursions, patrols and repeated raids and searches that were harming civilians and displacing residents.

She said Israel’s establishment of temporary checkpoints and permanent military infrastructure on Syrian territory had had a “significant impact” on civilians.

The commission said it had documented the detention of 49 people, including two children, by Israeli forces in June 2026. It said the detainees were believed to have been transferred across the border, stressing that such actions “may amount to war crimes”.

OPINION: The Syria option: Rethinking Middle Eastern oil exports beyond Hormuz

Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says Sundown Syndrome is a dead givaway and he wishes someone would Lock Him Up
Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says Sundown Syndrome is a dead givaway and he wishes someone would Lock Him Up
Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Strait of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don't need people to join wars after they've already won. He's challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.
Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Strait of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don’t need people to join wars after they’ve already won. He’s challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.
Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.
Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of policy of global privateering.

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *