Amnesty International Urges Probe into Israeli Demolitions in Quneitra

Amnesty International has called for an immediate investigation into the Israeli army’s deliberate destruction of civilian homes in the Quneitra governorate of southern Syria. The human rights organization asserts that these actions, occurring since December 2024 without absolute military necessity, amount to war crimes. Amnesty reported that Israeli forces raided homes, ordered residents to evacuate, and subsequently destroyed or damaged at least 23 civilian buildings across three villages. This campaign has led to the displacement of entire families. The findings were corroborated by satellite imagery, eyewitness accounts, and verified media content, which indicated no direct active hostilities in the area during the demolitions. Kristine Beckerle, Amnesty’s deputy regional director, highlighted that such unlawful destruction has become a hallmark of Israeli military operations in the region, similar to patterns observed in Gaza and Lebanon. The organization emphasized that border security concerns cannot justify violating international humanitarian law and occupying powers' duties under the Fourth Geneva Convention. Amnesty insists that Israel must provide specific reparations to victims for these serious violations, noting that many affected families had only recently rebuilt their homes after a decade of conflict.