UN Investigators: Israeli Operations in Syria May Constitute War Crimes

United Nations investigators stated on Tuesday that Israeli operations in Syria, including the detention of dozens of individuals, could amount to "war crimes." Fionnuala Ní Aoláin, a member of the UN's Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic, expressed significant concern over "ongoing Israeli violations" in the country.

Since the overthrow of the Bashar al-Assad regime in December 2024, Israel has conducted hundreds of airstrikes targeting Syrian military sites, which it claims are aimed at preventing the new authorities from acquiring the former regime's arsenal. Israeli forces have also advanced beyond the buffer zone adjacent to the occupied Golan Heights, reaching Mount Hermon and declaring intentions to establish a demilitarized zone in southern Syria, with officials indicating no plans to withdraw.

Ní Aoláin noted a "growing escalation and entrenchment" of Israeli military activities in southern Syria, characterized by repeated ground incursions, patrols, raids, and searches. She stated that Israel's establishment of temporary checkpoints and permanent military infrastructure on Syrian territory has "significantly impacted the civilian population."

The commission documented the Israeli military detaining 49 people, including two children, in June 2026, who are believed to have been transferred across the border. These actions, the investigators stressed, "may amount to war crimes."

"Whether it concerns interrogations, detention, destruction of housing, environmental damage, or destruction of property, a large number of these acts are explicitly prohibited in occupied territories or can only be justified by proven, urgent military necessity," Ní Aoláin added. She emphasized that an occupying power has clear legal obligations to protect civilians, but observed the opposite, citing the destruction of livelihoods, lack of medical access, and inability for residents to return home due to barriers.

The commission also highlighted broader human rights challenges in Syria, including the fragility of civil society, the conflict's political and economic repercussions, gender-based violations, instability in Sweida, and post-conflict issues like detentions in the northeast. They stressed the need for accountability for all perpetrators of violations in Syria, particularly concerning violence in the Syrian coast and western regions in early 2025, and in Sweida in July 2025, including missing persons cases.

Ní Aoláin stated that a more comprehensive report on these investigations will be presented to the Human Rights Council at its upcoming spring session.