Israeli incursions in Syria have reached their highest level this year. The UN Human Rights Office said it documented around 280 armed Israeli incursions into southern Syria in September alone, while in the latest raid, reported early on Saturday, Israeli troops carried out raids and searches in the village of Rasm al-Haydarah in Quneitra province, according to Middle East Eye.
Israeli incursions in Syria and 49 detainees
According to Syria’s SANA news agency, UN human rights spokesperson Shabia Mantoo said in Geneva on Friday that the incidents included raids on homes, movement restrictions, harassment and intimidation of civilians, arbitrary detention and the destruction of livelihoods. At least 49 Syrians remain in Israeli custody, the office said, though it has not independently verified a comprehensive total. Released detainees described detention lasting more than a year in some cases, beatings, prolonged forced standing, dogs being set on them and threats against their families.
The office said a farmer with a disability was shot and briefly detained while bleeding during an incursion in Jabata al-Khashab in northern Quneitra on Wednesday, and a 22-year-old man from Jaba was killed by Israeli forces near al-Hamidiyah on Monday. High Commissioner Volker Türk called for a prompt and impartial investigation.
Read More: Israeli Forces Expand Operations in Syria’s Quneitra Governorate
Security Council reaffirms 1974 agreement
Middle East Eye reported that Israeli forces also shelled farmland on the outskirts of al-Samdaniya al-Sharqiya in Quneitra on Wednesday. SANA said UN Security Council members on Thursday unanimously reaffirmed the need to fully implement the 1974 Disengagement Agreement and respect Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Syria’s Foreign Ministry welcomed the statement and renewed its demand for a complete Israeli withdrawal from southern Syria.
Sources: SANA, Middle East Eye
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