London, May 14 (SANA) Amnesty International on Thursday called for an investigation into Israeli military operations that destroyed civilian homes in Quneitra province in southwest Syria, saying the demolitions constitute war crimes.
In a statement cited by Agence France-Presse, the rights organization said Israeli forces had destroyed homes belonging to civilians in Quneitra since December 2024 without “absolute military necessity,” and called for accountability and compensation for affected residents.
Amnesty said Israeli forces entered villages and towns inside the U.N.-monitored demilitarized zone in Quneitra province on Dec. 8, 2024, after crossing from the occupied Syrian Golan. According to the organization, troops raided homes and ordered residents to leave the area.
The organization said Israeli forces destroyed or damaged at least 23 civilian buildings across three villages. Witnesses told Amnesty the buildings were homes belonging to them and their neighbors, while satellite imagery reviewed by the group confirmed the scale of the destruction.
Kristine Beckerle, Amnesty International’s deputy regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, said: “Israel securing its borders cannot justify razing and blowing up people’s homes and villages in another country’s territory.”
Israeli forces have continued military incursions into areas of southern Syria, particularly in Quneitra and Daraa provinces. Local reports said the latest movements took place Wednesday evening in northern Quneitra countryside, while earlier the same day forces were seen moving along Wadi al-Raqad road near the town of Jamla in western Daraa countryside.
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