Amnesty Calls for War Crimes Probe into Israeli Destruction of Homes in Southern Syria

Amnesty International has called for an investigation into alleged war crimes committed by the Israeli military in southern Syria. The human rights organization accuses Israel of deliberately destroying at least 23 civilian homes in Quneitra province since December 2024, following the fall of former Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad. Amnesty asserts that these actions, verified through satellite imagery and witness testimonies, lack absolute military necessity and violate international humanitarian law. The group demands reparations from Israel for these serious violations. This escalation occurred as Israeli forces entered a UN-patrolled demilitarized zone on the Golan Heights, conducting raids and ordering residents to evacuate. Despite ongoing talks between new Islamist authorities in Damascus and Israeli officials regarding a potential security agreement, Israel continues regular incursions and hundreds of strikes in the region. Israel has occupied most of the Golan Heights since 1967, annexing it in 1981, a move largely unrecognized internationally. Amnesty emphasizes that border security concerns cannot justify the destruction of villages in another country's territory.