Daijiworld Media Network - Damascus
Damascus, Oct 17: Syrians released from Israeli detention have alleged physical abuse, torture and degrading treatment in prison, as dozens of families continue to search for relatives detained during Israeli military operations in southern Syria.
Ahmed, who was detained at an Israeli military checkpoint in his village, said he was told he would be taken away for five minutes but ended up spending more than a year in Israeli custody. After his release this month, he described being beaten while restrained and kept in handcuffs for prolonged periods.
He said that for 90 days, his hands were cuffed behind his back and he was thrown to the floor of his cell and beaten with sticks. According to Ahmed, guards tightened the restraints by stepping on them, causing severe swelling and loss of sensation in his hands.
His return home drew dozens of people who came to congratulate him and seek information about their own missing relatives. According to Al Jazeera, at least 51 Syrians remain detained in Israel. Many were initially held at the Sde Teiman military prison before being transferred to facilities run by the Israel Prison Service, including Ofer, al-Jalama and Megiddo. A small number have been released.
Another former detainee, identified by the pseudonym Mahmoud, said he continued to struggle emotionally after returning home. Nine days after his release, he said he sometimes woke during the night and checked on his children because he found it difficult to believe he was back with his family.
Mahmoud said Israeli troops arrested him during a raid on his home at around 3.30 am. He alleged that he was forced to kneel with his forehead against the ground and his hands behind his head for hours, leaving him with infected wounds on his knees. He also showed scars on his wrists and ankles from restraints.
He further alleged that detainees were subjected to attacks by dogs wearing muzzles, which caused injuries when the animals struck them. Mahmoud also described being confined in a room filled with loudspeakers, where music was played at an unbearable volume. He said he saw Syrian, Palestinian and Lebanese detainees vomiting after being allowed out.
Mahmoud said he was never charged with an offence and did not know why he was released. He also alleged that he was not given access to a lawyer during his detention.
The International Committee of the Red Cross has been denied access to detainees held by Israel since October 7, 2023, according to the report.
Another former detainee, Mohammed Seyyed, said he was arrested in 2025 after Israeli troops carried out an incursion that damaged his home and farm. He was detained along with his son, brother and nephew while they were attempting to repair the damage.
Seyyed said he was taken for interrogation while blindfolded and bound. Officers showed him maps and photographs of his home and neighbourhood, demonstrating their knowledge of people and places around him. However, he alleged that the questioning remained general and that one officer eventually acknowledged he had been detained on the basis of false information.
The accounts come amid continued Israeli military activity in southern Syria following the fall of Bashar al-Assad's government in December 2024. Israeli forces have occupied additional Syrian territory, while residents report raids, arrests, roadblocks and repeated artillery and machine-gun fire.
The Sijil Center, a Syrian organisation monitoring Israeli activity, documented 280 alleged Israeli violations of the 1974 disengagement agreement in September. The incidents reportedly included military incursions, raids, arrests and gunfire.
United Nations peacekeepers continue to patrol the demilitarised zone between the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and the rest of Syria. However, the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) has acknowledged that Israeli military restrictions sometimes limit the movement of its personnel and prevent planned patrols.
In one incident in late August, Israeli armoured vehicles reportedly blocked the access road to a UNDOF base near Jubata al-Khashab. A local council worker who contacted the peacekeepers to offer assistance said he was told to remain where he was and not approach the base.
Residents said the military activity has disrupted daily life, with checkpoints and road closures preventing people from travelling freely. Students considering university studies have reportedly contemplated moving to Damascus to avoid missing classes, while people with medical conditions fear being unable to reach healthcare facilities.
The Syrian government faces limited options for responding to the situation. Israel has opposed the deployment of Syrian government forces in the south, while Damascus lacks the military capacity to confront Israel directly. Efforts to negotiate a security agreement have made little progress, with talks reportedly stalling following the outbreak of the US-Israel war on Iran.
Frustration has grown among residents, with local leaders and families of detainees increasingly demanding action. In Qatana, local sheikhs gathered after Friday prayers to discuss the situation.
Sheikh Mamdouh Tahhan said residents' patience was wearing thin, referring to an earlier confrontation between locals and Israeli troops in Abidin. He acknowledged that Syria could not afford a war with Israel but said people were prepared to stand up for themselves.
Families of detainees have also complained that they have received little legal or financial assistance from the government. With many of those detained being family breadwinners, relatives said they had accumulated debts at local grocery stores while struggling to meet daily expenses.
To exchange information, families have formed a WhatsApp group where they share updates and search for news of their missing relatives. Some have begun associating Wednesdays with possible releases after several weeks in which detainees were freed on that day.
Hassan Ahmed, whose 16-year-old son was taken into Israel in April 2025, has become involved in organising protests and seeking information from other families. He said Israeli troops destroyed his 400 olive trees shortly after his son's detention and raided his farm again in October, damaging solar panels.
Ahmed said families anxiously checked their phones throughout the day, hoping for news of a release. Messages from other parents continued to arrive as they waited for information about their missing relatives.
The emotional toll has been severe, he said, describing the pain of not knowing what had happened to his son. For many families, the uncertainty continues as they wait for answers and hope their loved ones will return home.