Why Is Israel's Military Presence Growing in Syria?
Israeli strikes and incursions into Syria persist, with locals reporting detentions, infrastructure destruction and new military bases.
In April 2024, Israeli soldiers abducted a 17-year-old Syrian boy named Saddam from his farmland near the Golan Heights, a territory Israel has occupied since 1967. Saddam claimed he was going to tend to his animals when he was taken, handcuffed and shackled. Syrian farmer Ahmad Hassan al-Din witnessed the incident, documenting Israeli soldiers marching his son through fields. Al-Din filmed the incident and shared the video with German broadcaster DW, which was later verified by France24 and human rights organizations.
According to al-Din, Saddam was taken because he was allegedly trespassing on Israeli territory, despite it being farmland that the Syrian farmer and his family had a valid UN permit to use. To enter this buffer area, Syrian farmers and shepherds need a special pass from the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), which was established to ensure Israeli and Syrian forces maintain a distance after a 1974 disengagement agreement.
Since Saddam's abduction, similar incidents have occurred with Syrian teenagers being detained by Israeli soldiers. The Sijil Center, a Syrian-based organization that documents Israeli violations of Syrian territory, recorded 818 incidents between August 25 and December 31, 2025, averaging 45 incidents per week. Since the beginning of the year, there have been 1,632 incursions, averaging 48 incidents per week.
Around 200 Syrians have been detained since December 2024, with most being released within 24 hours after interrogation.
Experts say these actions by Israel constitute a breach of international law, with organizations like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch describing Israel's behavior in southern Syria as possible war crimes. Israel maintains that the area should be a demilitarized zone and claims it has apprehended individuals where there was reasonable suspicion of involvement in terrorist activity, as well as setting up new military bases to prevent attacks and smuggling.
However, locals in Quneitra are unsure whether Israel's intentions are to occupy their towns or to pressure the Syrian government.
Written by urgent.news from Tempo.co English's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
