In the early hours of a night in 2026, Israeli military forces raided the home of the al-Bashir family in Syria’s Quneitra province, detaining a 16-year-old boy, Ali, in the absence of his older brother, Zaid. Zaid, a poultry farm laborer, was instructed to surrender himself to secure Ali’s release, but he refused, fearing detention himself. Eight months later, the family remains unaware of Ali’s fate, who appears to be held in Israeli custody.

Since Israel’s incursion into southern Syria on December 8, 2024, following the collapse of the Assad regime, the region has experienced significant military activity. Israeli forces have established nine outposts and maintain a presence across nearly 600 square kilometers, including parts of Quneitra and western Daraa governorates. The stated goal of the occupation is to prevent terrorist groups from gaining a foothold near the Golan Heights border.

Residents in the occupied territories report a climate of fear marked by frequent raids, arbitrary arrests, and checkpoint inspections where soldiers conduct ID checks, searches of vehicles and cellphones, and photographic documentation of civilians. Many describe Israeli troops forcibly entering homes, causing property damage, and conducting searches without prior notice. Instances of looting—ranging from food to valuables—have also been reported.

Local sources say that Israeli forces operate using tactics resembling those employed in other occupied areas, such as the West Bank and southern Lebanon, but these measures have reportedly not adapted to the densely populated civilian environment of southern Syria. Such actions have created hostility among residents who previously viewed Israel as a “humane country” during the civil war, when Israel provided humanitarian aid and medical treatment to Syrians in rebel-held territories.

The number of detentions is significant. A Syrian monitoring group reported that between December 2024 and September 2026, Israeli forces arrested 248 individuals, mostly held briefly. However, more than 60 detainees, including minors and some with disabilities, have been transferred to detention centers within Israel, such as Sde Teiman and Kishon, or to the Ofer Prison in the West Bank. Families of detainees generally have no contact with them, and the International Committee of the Red Cross confirms it has not had access to detainees since October 2023, despite an Israeli High Court ruling permitting visits.

Detainees, according to former prisoners and their relatives, face harsh interrogation methods including long hours of solitary confinement, physical abuse, prolonged shackling, starvation, use of stun grenades, and psychological pressure. Some allege that interrogations sometimes focus on gathering intelligence on local networks rather than evidence-based inquiries. Several were accused of connections to groups such as Hezbollah or ISIS, though some allegations were later disproven.

While Syrian officials view the arrests as aligned with Damascus’s interests, assisting in the elimination of Iranian-backed militant groups, local residents emphasize the impact on innocent civilians and growing distrust. Reports indicate the enlistment of local collaborators who submit intelligence on neighbors, sometimes based on vendettas, further complicating community relations.

Israeli military activity extends beyond detentions. The occupation has disrupted agricultural livelihoods critical to the local economy, with restrictions preventing farmers from accessing their lands near the border. Additionally, the Israeli military has applied herbicides to clear vegetation along the border, damaging farmland, grazing areas, and apiaries. Nighttime shelling further restricts movement and has reportedly caused livestock deaths.

Humanitarian assistance from Israel has been unevenly received. Druze communities have generally accepted aid, including the establishment of medical stations, while Sunni villages often reject it, fearing accusations of collaboration. Israeli efforts previously included support for rebel groups in the area during earlier phases of the civil conflict, but the current occupation has altered local perceptions, with some residents describing the military’s presence as oppressive rather than protective.

Israeli officials maintain that their forces operate under legal and security guidelines. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) asserts its role is to safeguard the Golan Heights and prevent hostile elements from infiltrating, emphasizing that detainees receive meals, medical care, and are treated in accordance with Israeli and international law. The IDF also denies the use of dogs to harm detainees and highlights oversight mechanisms in detention facilities.

Nonetheless, military reservists and experts caution that the occupation may be sowing the seeds of further instability, drawing parallels to Israel’s past presence in southern Lebanon, which contributed to the rise of Hezbollah. Local observers describe the region as a “ticking time bomb” where increasing hostility risks evolving into armed resistance or guerrilla warfare, undermining Israel’s stated security objectives.