Ibrahim was visiting his uncle's house in a village located in Quneitra, Syria, last July when, at 3 AM, dozens of Israeli forces stormed the place accompanied by military dogs. He described the incident, stating that Israeli intelligence officers interrogated him about his "connections" with ISIS and Hezbollah, while he had no ties to these groups. Ibrahim, who is an orphan and 17 years old, told them: "I live with my grandmother and two brothers and work in a factory."
Arrest and Torture in Israeli Prisons
Israeli forces handcuffed Ibrahim with plastic cuffs and transferred him to their base in the occupied village of Tel Ahmar al-Gharbi. This marked the beginning of 13 months of detention without communication, accompanied by physical and psychological torture in several Israeli prisons. This situation has left Ibrahim severely disillusioned with Israel and his own government.
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The feeling of despair and abandonment has spread significantly among the residents of Quneitra. The continued Israeli attacks, including airstrikes and artillery shelling, have terrified local communities and paralyzed the region's economy, which heavily relies on agriculture.
Statistics on Arrests and Their Consequences
According to human rights monitoring reports, Israeli security forces have arrested more than 240 Syrians since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in December 2024, with several of them transferred to Israel, an act described as illegal detention. By August 2026, at least 200 individuals have been released, but 40 remain in an uncertain status. These individuals are victims of Israel's ongoing military operations, which have primarily affected Sunni Arab communities in the buffer zone between Syria and Israel.
Israeli forces infiltrated the buffer zone and seized the strategic Hermon mountain at the time when Sunni opposition forces led by Ahmad al-Shara'a, the interim president of the country, overthrew the Assad regime. According to Israeli military assessments, within 48 hours, Israeli fighter jets and naval vessels destroyed about 80% of Syria's military capabilities, including air defense systems, missile depots, aircraft, and tanks.
The current situation in the occupied Golan not only affects the security of the region but also exacerbates the humanitarian crisis in Syria. These issues highlight the need for immediate attention and action from the international community.
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