French journalist recounts abuse by "Israeli" forces in occupied Syrian lands

French freelance journalist Sylvain Mercadier revealed that the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) "beat and brutally interrogated" after detaining him last Wednesday in occupied Syrian territory.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), Mercadier said he was arrested while reporting in the village of Hamidiye, located in the buffer zone near the Golan Heights in southern Syria. At the time, he was accompanied by Syrian activist and lawyer Muhammed Fayyad.

Mercadier stated that the IOF attempted to confiscate their personal computers. When they resisted, they were "brutally" arrested, with their hands bound behind their backs and mouths gagged.

"For four hours, we were forced to sit on the ground cross-legged with our hands behind our backs. We were mistreated, insulted and humiliated by the soldiers," Mercadier recounted.

He added, “We were interrogated multiple times, intimidated and threatened. I was thrown to the ground and beaten because I refused to cooperate with the army by unlocking my phone.”

Following the interrogation, Mercadier said they were transported to another village in a military vehicle and later released. However, key equipment was not returned, including SIM cards, phones, cameras, and memory cards.

“I was deprived of my equipment needed for work,” he lamented.

An IOF spokesperson, however, claimed that the detainees were released along with their belongings after the interrogation.

The incident occurred as the IOF intensified its operations in the Syrian Golan Heights. Recent activities include destroying infrastructure and former Syrian military installations left abandoned following the collapse of Bashar Al-Assad’s regime.

Following the fall of Assad’s regime, the IOF significantly expanded its operations in Syrian territory near the buffer zone.

Two weeks ago, the IOF entered the Syrian side of Mount Hermon, seizing control of an abandoned military site. The Israeli Occupation government described this as a “temporary security measure” pending new arrangements.

On Thursday, the IOF announced it had uncovered and destroyed weapons and infrastructure belonging to the Syrian army. The Golan Brigade 474 is reportedly conducting “defensive operations” to “ensure the security of settlements and the Golan Heights,” according to official statements.

Syrian media reported a fresh IOF incursion on Wednesday into the southern Quneitra countryside, where forces conducted searches of farmlands and used military vehicles to bulldoze agricultural areas.

"Israeli" Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated that the Golan Heights will remain “an inseparable part of Israel forever.” He also stated that the 1974 disengagement agreement with Syria, established after the 1973 war, is effectively null as the Syrian army has abandoned its positions.

Netanyahu’s office confirmed that the deployment of IOF in the buffer zone is temporary until forces adhering to the 1974 agreement are established.