New York-SANA
Human Rights Watch confirmed that Israeli forces occupying parts of southern Syria since December 2024 are committing a range of violations some of which constitute war crimes against Syrian residents.
The organization called on governments to suspend any military support to Israel that would facilitate violations of human rights and international law in southern Syria, and to impose sanctions on those responsible for the violations.
The violations, included forced displacement, confiscating and demolishing homes, depriving residents of their property and livelihoods, and arbitrarily detaining and transferring them to Israel, the organization said.
The Watch noted in a report published Wednesday on its website that since the fall of the former regime in December 2024, Israel has infiltrated the demilitarized zone overseen by the United Nations, which separates the occupied Golan Heights from the rest of Syrian territory.
“Israel has established nine military positions extending from Mount Hermon, through Quneitra city, to parts of western Daraa, and has intensified its airstrikes on military infrastructure” the Watch added.
The organization noted that international humanitarian law, under Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, prohibits the unjustified forced displacement of civilians in occupied territories and considers it a war crime.
Human Rights Watch called on the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, and other countries to support accountability measures for Israel through the International Criminal Court and to take steps to end its ongoing human rights violations.
Nisreen / Abdul
