Residents of Quneitra governorate (southwestern Syria) called for an end to the Israeli army’s violations and attacks against local people and for the release of Syrian detainees.

Enab Baladi’s correspondent reported that residents raised these demands during a meeting between local community leaders and UN Under-Secretary-General Jean-Pierre Lacroix on Saturday, October 17.

UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix meets with community leaders and residents of Quneitra, October 17, 2026 (Enab Baladi/Abdullah al-Wanny).

Hassan Saad al-Din, the father of detainee Saddam Saad al-Din, told Enab Baladi that Israel’s aggressive practices risked causing the situation in the region to explode. He called on the United Nations to secure the release of 37 Syrians held in Israeli prisons.

Saad al-Din also urged Israel to stop cutting down trees, noting that the trees felled by the Israeli army in Quneitra’s woodlands predated Israel’s establishment in 1948.

He added that documentation listing the detainees’ names had been sent to the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) office at the Syrian Defense Ministry, the Foreign Ministry, UNDOF’s base in Naba al-Fawwar (Quneitra countryside), and all humanitarian organizations.

Saad al-Din described the Israeli occupation’s conduct as “thuggery,” saying his son had been detained eight months before the former regime’s fall, without a clear charge.

UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix meets with community leaders and residents of Quneitra, October 17, 2026 (Enab Baladi/Abdullah al-Wanny).

Rasha Hassan, whose two children are held in Israeli prisons, called on the UN official to secure the release of her two underage sons, who were detained by Israeli occupation forces while they were in ninth grade.

Hassan said she no longer felt safe living in her home and called for a lasting solution to this “painful reality,” hoping for stability and safety.

UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix meets with community leaders and residents of Quneitra, October 17, 2026 (Enab Baladi/Abdullah al-Wanny).

Ali Mutlaq, the mukhtar, or local community head, of Sida Golan (southern Quneitra countryside), urged the UN official to pressure Israel to stop its threats. He said residents of his village and southern Syria as a whole were suffering from Israeli incursions every morning and evening.

Mutlaq called for the release of detainees who had been held for long periods without clear charges or any information about them. He said Israel was targeting residents’ livelihoods by preventing shepherds from reaching their land and killing livestock, which constitute residents’ main source of income.

Youssef Maryoud, whose brother is held in an Israeli prison, said every home raided had women and children inside. He noted that families continued to suffer from Israeli incursions, particularly because most raids took place late at night.

He added that the Israeli incursions created constant tension and anxiety, calling on the United Nations to secure the detainees’ release and reject all charges against them.

UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix meets with community leaders and residents of Quneitra, October 17, 2026 (Enab Baladi/Abdullah al-Wanny).

 Meeting With the Governor

Quneitra Governor Ghassan Ahmed also met with UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix, in coordination with the governorate’s Directorate of International Cooperation.

The Quneitra governorate administration said on its official channels that the two sides discussed conditions in the governorate and UNDOF’s role.

According to the governorate administration, the meeting addressed conditions in the UN force’s area of operations, its responsibilities in monitoring the disengagement, and the importance of strengthening coordination and cooperation. It also covered the effects of current conditions and Israeli violations on residents and their daily lives.

During the meeting, the governor stressed that UNDOF must fulfill its responsibilities to monitor and document Israeli violations in accordance with its UN mandate, helping protect residents and limit the consequences of those violations.

The two sides also discussed the frameworks provided by the UN Charter, particularly Chapters VI and VII, for resolving disputes and maintaining international peace and security, within the context of compliance with relevant international resolutions and agreements, according to the governorate administration.

The administration said the meeting was part of efforts to follow developments in Quneitra governorate and strengthen communication and coordination with the United Nations regarding Israeli violations and their effects on residents.

UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix meets with community leaders and residents of Quneitra, October 17, 2026 (Enab Baladi/Abdullah al-Wanny).

Continuing Violations

Lacroix’s visit to Quneitra governorate comes amid continuing Israeli incursions, shootings, and arrests targeting residents of southern Syria.

Enab Baladi’s correspondent in Quneitra reported that two people from al-Razaniyah (southern Quneitra countryside) were detained during an incursion by an Israeli occupation patrol.

In an earlier incident on Friday, October 16, Israeli occupation forces opened fire toward shepherds in the same area.

That incident was preceded by similar gunfire toward agricultural land surrounding Kudna (southern Quneitra countryside), with no injuries reported.

Regarding Israeli violations in the Daraa countryside, Enab Baladi’s correspondent reported that an Israeli occupation force consisting of two vehicles entered Wadi al-Ruqad (western Daraa countryside, southern Syria) on Saturday.

An earlier patrol had entered Abdin, a town in the Yarmouk Basin (western Daraa countryside), on Thursday evening, October 15.