Key facts
- Israeli soldiers fired on a Syrian news crew reporting on Israel's incursion into the village of Abdin in southern Syria.
- Journalists in southern Syria have faced harassment, including being chased, detained, and intimidated by live fire from Israeli forces.
- In June 2025, two Syrian journalists were pursued by Israeli soldiers in Quneitra province while covering the aftermath of an Iranian drone strike.
- Journalists have been interrogated, accused of entering military zones, and threatened with imprisonment.
- Incidents of Israeli forces injuring, detaining, and intimidating journalists in southern Syria have increased.
Israeli soldiers have been accused of firing on Syrian journalists reporting in southern Syria, with multiple incidents of harassment, detention, and intimidation documented by press freedom organizations. In one instance, a Syrian news crew was fired upon while covering an Israeli incursion into the village of Abdin, west of Daraa.
Reporters speaking to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) described being chased, detained, and intimidated by live fire from Israeli Defense Forces in southern Syria. These actions have raised concerns about press freedom in the region and have sometimes forced journalists to take measures to protect their footage and equipment.
In June 2025, two Syrian journalists, Nader Dabo and Nour Abu Hassan, were pursued by Israeli soldiers in Quneitra province while documenting debris from an Iranian drone strike. They were intercepted near the border, interrogated, and accused of violating a military zone, prompting them to hide their equipment to prevent its seizure or deletion.
Since the collapse of the Syrian government in late 2024, Israeli forces have reportedly expanded their deployment in southern Syria, citing security threats from Iranian-backed groups. Syrian officials have also accused Israel of attempting to steal the region's water resources.
Journalists have reported being obstructed by Israeli patrols inside Syrian territory, with some experiencing equipment destruction and forced expulsion amid gunfire intended to intimidate. One journalist, Ali Al-Najjar, stated he was injured by gunfire in December 2024 when Israeli soldiers fired at protestors. Another journalist, Anwar Asfour, reported being shot at by Israeli troops in May 2025 while covering damage to water wells in the Syrian-controlled Golan Heights.