People assist a man crossing from Lebanon into Syria as they flee the ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces at the Masnaa border crossing with Syria, Lebanon, on October 28, 2024. — Reuters
Human Rights Watch (HRW) cautioned on Wednesday that Syrians escaping Israel's offensive on Lebanon might face repression upon returning home, as over 355,000 Syrians have returned in the past month due to the conflict. 'Syrians fleeing Lebanon, especially men, are at risk of arbitrary detention and abuse by Syrian authorities,' the group stated in a release. 'The suspicious deaths of deportees in custody underscore the significant risk of arbitrary detention, abuse, and persecution for those returning,' said Adam Coogle, HRW's deputy Middle East director.
Since Israel initiated its intensive air campaign on September 23, over half a million individuals have fled from Lebanon to Syria, including more than 355,010 Syrians, according to Lebanese official data. HRW documented five arrests in October. One case involved a woman whose husband was 'immediately' arrested by Syrian military intelligence upon their return, despite hopes that a recent amnesty covering army deserters would protect him.
'Syria is no safer for returnees than it was before, but the escalating dangers in Lebanon have left many Syrians with no other option,' Coogle noted. 'Their return is not indicative of improved conditions in Syria, but rather a harsh reality that they are being excluded from safer alternatives and forced back into a country where they still face risks of detention, abuse, and death.'
Last week, Transport Minister Ali Hamieh informed AFP that Israeli bombings had rendered a second border crossing between Lebanon and Syria inoperable, leaving only one official crossing functional between the neighboring countries. After nearly a year of cross-border clashes with Hezbollah, Israel intensified its strikes on the group's strongholds last month and subsequently deployed ground forces across the border.
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