This weekend once again saw Israel conducting a growing number of operations against southwest Syria, pointing to yet further escalation and leading to the capture of multiple locals in Quneitra Governorate.
The detentions happened Thursday night into Friday, with an Israeli patrol entering Quneitra and captured a man and his son in their home in al-Rufayd, before continuing on to al-Hamadiyah where they raided another home and captured another young man.
The three were taken to the occupied UNDOF zone, though the two men from Rufayd were released later on Friday. The IDF did not comment on why any of them were detained in the first place, and the fate of the man from Hamadiyah remains unknown.
Israeli troops overlooking southwest Syrian territory | Image from SOHR
Other attacks were reported over the weekend targeting both Daraa Governorate and Rif Damasq Governorate. The Daraa attacks were, as usual, centered on the Yarmouk River Basin, with troops opening fire on a residential area in the village of Maariyah. No casualties were reported.
On Sunday Israeli troops were particularly active in the northern part of Quneitra, establishing multiple checkpoints and stopping locals passing through them. In particular, multiple farmers were reportedly subjected to “detailed searches” of themselves and their vehicles. No additional detentions were reported, however.
The system of detention by the IDF is remarkably opaque, with the military rarely commenting on people they’ve captured, or indeed even confirming how many Syrians they’re holding at any given time. This has led to growing protests against facilities believed to house the captives by the families of people who have gone missing, presumably into Israeli custody. There is no indication any of the detainees have ever been charged with any crimes, and most are released within days or even hours, though others have been held for as long as a year before finally being returned, with no explanation, to their village of origin.
