Israeli forces released two Syrian men on Wednesday, July 29, after detaining them for nearly a year. The men are from the Quneitra and Damascus countrysides in southern Syria.
Enab Baladi’s correspondent reported that the Israeli army released Hussam al-Safadi, from the town of Beit Jinn in the western Damascus countryside, and Marwan Hussam al-Karyan, from Suwaysah in the southern Quneitra countryside.
Their release brought to five the number of Syrian detainees freed by Israel in recent days. Israeli forces released one detainee on Tuesday, July 28, after freeing two others on July 23.
The released men said they had received information indicating that additional Syrian detainees could be freed from Israeli prisons in the coming period, according to the correspondent.
The correspondent added that 47 Syrian detainees remain in Israeli prisons.
The Israeli army regularly arrests young Syrian men during its operations in southern Syria. Some are released after several hours, while others are taken to undisclosed locations, with their families receiving no information about where they are being held or the conditions of their detention.
Families Demand Detainees’ Release
Relatives of Syrians held in Israeli prisons have organized several protests demanding information about the fate of their family members and calling for their release.
The latest protest was held on July 22 outside the headquarters of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force, known as UNDOF, in the northern Quneitra countryside.
Participants called for the fate of Syrians detained by the Israeli army to be disclosed and demanded their immediate release.
An UNDOF delegation met several relatives of Syrian detainees in Jubata al-Khashab, in the Quneitra countryside, on April 21.
The meeting addressed the families’ demands and humanitarian concerns, particularly Israeli violations affecting residents and the continued detention of Syrians, according to Enab Baladi’s correspondent in Quneitra.
The families demanded that Syrians held in Israeli military prisons be released, that information about their fate be provided, and that Israeli violations in areas bordering the occupied Golan Heights come to an end.
UNDOF has increased its presence in areas affected by Israeli incursions in recent months to receive complaints from residents about Israeli military violations in southern Syria.
Continued Israeli Incursions
Israel has carried out repeated incursions into southern Syria since December 8, 2024, citing security concerns and the possibility of an attack from Syrian territory similar to the al-Aqsa Flood operation.
Despite international calls for Israel to withdraw, the government of Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected those demands and insisted that Israeli forces will remain in Syrian territory.
Since entering the area, Israel has established several military positions in southern Syria and used them as bases for further incursions.
These operations have included searches, arrests, land clearing, and the establishment of checkpoints that restrict movement between villages and towns.
The Syrian government has demanded the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Syrian territory, while emphasizing that it prioritizes dialogue and negotiations over military solutions.