Israeli raids and arrests in southern Syria push population to the brink

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports that Israeli raids, checkpoint arrests and repeated military activity in southern Syria are deepening fear and disruption among residents in villages near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. The story, published on 17 Oct. 2026, centers on accounts from Syrian men who say they were detained by Israeli forces, held for long periods and mistreated in prison. One resident described being arrested at a checkpoint in his village and later spending more than a year in Israeli detention; another said he was seized during a night raid and released without charge. Their testimonies describe restraints, beatings, isolation and psychological pressure.

According to the article, Al Jazeera has identified at least 51 Syrians still detained in Israel, with some transferred from the Sde Teiman military prison to facilities including Ofer, al-Jalama (Kishon) and Megiddo. Families continue to search for information about missing relatives, while released detainees say they are still struggling with trauma and fear. The reporting also says the Red Cross has been denied access to detainees since Oct. 7, 2023.

Beyond the detention cases, the article says Israeli shelling and incursions have intensified since early August, limiting farming, frightening civilians and restricting movement. A Syrian monitoring group documented hundreds of alleged Israeli violations in September, including raids, arrests and artillery fire. UN peacekeepers in the area are still present under the 1974 disengagement deal, but Al Jazeera says their patrols are sometimes obstructed by Israeli checkpoints and roadblocks. Israel says its actions are for security and to protect Druze communities, a justification the Syrian government rejects.