Israeli incursions, abductions stoke fear in Syria’s occupied Golan Heights

Al Jazeera talks exclusively to families of those taken by the Israeli service whose actions are besides causing an ecocide.

Jubata al-Khashab, Quneitra, Syria – When Syrians stitchery to grounds Israeli incursions, soldiers constituent their guns astatine them.

Israeli subject incursions person go much brazen, much predominant and much convulsive since Israel expanded its concern of confederate Syria pursuing the ousting of President Bashar al-Assad successful December 2024.

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Across Quneitra province, the Israeli military’s tanks person established checkpoints and patrols, adjacent mounting up gates. They halt and hunt civilians, and immoderate are abducted.

Khadija Arnous’s hubby and brother-in-law are among those taken from their location successful July. Her brother-in-law was released from Sednaya prison, and present helium is successful Israeli custody.

At 3am (00:00 GMT) 1 day, Israeli soldiers ordered some men to permission the location and blindfolded them.

“We’ve had nary quality astir them since,” Arnous told Al Jazeera, covering her look for fearfulness of reprisal. “We contacted the Red Cross, but to nary avail.”

“I person 4 children – my hubby was the sole provider. I impulse the authorities to find a solution for us. Why are the Israelis coming and taking whoever they want?”

Khadija Arnous holds up a photograph of her husband, whom Israeli forces took from the household location successful July [Screengrab/Al Jazeera]

Described by Israel arsenic information operations, Syrian authorities and quality rights groups notation to specified incidents arsenic abductions oregon unlawful arrests. As galore arsenic 40 radical person reportedly been detained successful caller weeks.

Israel archetypal seized territory successful the Golan Heights pursuing the 1967 war. But aft the autumn of al-Assad, it claimed its 1974 disengagement statement with Syria was void and has widened its concern successful Syria by immoderate 400sq km (155sq miles).

Mohammad Mazen Mriwed, an elder from Jubata al-Khashab village, told Al Jazeera that radical are surviving successful fearfulness of Israeli incursions and tin nary longer enactment their land.

“Since the autumn of the regime, galore are nary longer gathering oregon cultivating,” helium said. “We don’t cognize however the authorities volition respond, but existent alleviation volition travel lone erstwhile the concern ends.”

In summation to taking Syrians, Israeli forces are besides fortifying their positions with ample berms and watchtowers. Sanad, Al Jazeera’s fact-checking agency, has verified the constitution of 9 caller Israeli subject camps successful Syria since December 2024.

Israeli forces person seized and flattened full cultivation areas successful Quneitra state [Screengrab/Al Jazeera]

Local elders estimation 1,700 acres (688 hectares) of onshore seized by Israeli forces includes orchards, fields and grazing lands.

Israeli forces person flattened full areas, uprooting trees believed to beryllium hundreds of years old, to physique much subject beingness connected Syrian soil, villagers and shepherds say.

Mohammad Makkiyah went excessively adjacent to a watchtower and was changeable by an Israeli sniper. He says the archetypal changeable missed his head, but arsenic helium ran from a volley of fire, a slug deed his leg.

In a adjacent house, Hussain Bakr’s lad and member were taken 5 months ago.

“We complained to the UN and the Red Cross, who told america that they volition inquire the Israelis, but determination is nary response,” Bakr told Al Jazeera. “They are innocent, taken for nary reason.”

Israeli forces took Hussain Bakr’s lad and member 5 months agone [Screengrab/Al Jazeera]

Residents accidental interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa should retrieve his ain family’s displacement erstwhile Israel occupied the Golan Heights. The president has antecedently said his gramps was forced to fly the country successful 1967.

Government representatives accidental they are trying for solutions done diplomacy.

But until the missing travel home, words connection small solace.

“The concern is achy for the families and for america arsenic a government,” Jamal Numairi, a People’s Assembly subordinate from Quneitra, told Al Jazeera. “To the families, I say: the authorities volition spare nary effort to resoluteness the issue. I see them kidnapped, not arsenic prisoners.”