Residents in southern Syria say Israeli military raids, detentions and shelling have made daily life increasingly difficult, with families also struggling to learn what happened to relatives taken at checkpoints or during overnight operations.
In Qatana, a recently released man told Al Jazeera he had spent more than a year in Israeli detention and described beatings and prolonged restraints. His account is a personal allegation. The outlet said it had identified at least 51 Syrians still held inside Israel, with detainees transferred among several prison facilities and a small number released.
Another resident, identified by a pseudonym, said Israeli troops detained him during a pre-dawn raid. He described being restrained and subjected to physical and psychological abuse, and said he was not charged or given access to a lawyer. The Israeli military had not responded to the outlet’s request for comment at the time of publication.
The pressure extends beyond arrests. Residents say shelling into nearby fields has occurred on most days since early August, limiting work for farmers and shepherds and sometimes killing livestock. The Syrian Sijil Center recorded 280 alleged Israeli violations of the 1974 disengagement agreement during September, including incursions, raids, arrests and fire from artillery or machine guns.
The UN Disengagement Observer Force confirmed that Israeli roadblocks and checkpoints have at times restricted its movement and prevented planned patrols. Israel says its presence and operations are necessary for security and to protect Syria’s Druze community; the Syrian government rejects that justification. For residents, the combination of security operations, restricted movement and unanswered questions about detainees has deepened a sense of uncertainty.
