On Tuesday, March 25, 2025, four civilians were killed and others injured, including a woman, in an Israeli shelling on Kuwaya village in the western countryside of Daraa, southern Syria.
The Daraa governorate issued a statement saying that the Israeli shelling resulted in the killing of four and injuring others, including a woman. This was followed by tank shelling that destroyed parts of civilian homes.
The attack spread panic and fear among residents, coinciding with the flight of Israeli reconnaissance aircraft over the area, it added.
Local medical sources revealed that some of the wounded are in critical condition, and random shelling on the outskirts of the village continues.
On March 17, 2025, Israeli airstrikes were carried out on various areas in Daraa, resulting in the killing of four civilians and injuring 19 others, including a woman and four children, according to the Syrian Civil Defence.
The Israel occupation has been targeting Syrian territories for years through airstrikes and missile attacks, claiming to target military sites. However, evidence indicates civilian casualties and destruction of their property each time.
Targeting civilians during armed conflicts is a serious violation of international humanitarian law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, which prohibits attacking individuals not participating in hostilities.
According to Article 8 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, indiscriminate shelling leading to civilian casualties can be classified as a war crime. The United Nations Charter also prohibits the use of force against the territorial integrity of any state.
The Israeli shelling of Syria coincides with its continued occupation of most of the Golan Heights since the 1967 war and its illegal control over the Syrian buffer zone, violating the 1974 Disengagement Agreement.
Since December 2024, Syria has been experiencing significant political changes, with opposition factions taking control of Damascus and several other cities, ending 61 years of Ba’ath Party rule and 53 years of the Assad family being in power. This situation has led Israel to take the chance to intensify its military strikes.
The international silence is resulting in civilians in Daraa and other Syrian areas facing further violations by the Israeli occupation, which requires an urgent international action to be taken to protect them and halt repeated Israeli attacks.
