On May 9, a BBC Arabic team was detained at gunpoint by Israeli soldiers while attempting to report near the Golan Heights. After a tense encounter, they were stripped of their belongings, interrogated, and ultimately released, but warned against future reporting in the area.
BBC Team Faces Harrowing Detention by Israeli Forces in Southern Syria
BBC Team Faces Harrowing Detention by Israeli Forces in Southern Syria
A BBC Arabic crew, including British and Iraqi journalists, were detained and harassed by Israeli soldiers during a reporting mission in southern Syria.
On the morning of May 9, a BBC Arabic team embarked on a reporting mission from Damascus to the southern province of Deraa, aiming to gather information near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. The crew, which included a British correspondent, Iraqi staff, and Syrian freelancers, sought to document the status of regions controlled by Israel since a recent takeover.
While filming near a United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) post, they were alerted by UN officials that the Israeli military was aware of their presence. With no immediate concerns, the team ventured closer to Quneitra city, located within a buffer zone established after the 1974 disengagement agreement between Syria and Israel.
Unexpectedly, an unguarded checkpoint obstructed their pathway, and Israeli soldiers soon approached. They surrounded the crew, aiming rifles at them, compelling them to relinquish their filming equipment. Despite the team identifying themselves as a BBC crew, tensions escalated rapidly. A brief communication with London was made prior to their phones being confiscated.
After a thorough search of their vehicle, the soldiers escorted the crew into Quneitra, where they began examining footage while continuing to threaten the journalists. An unexpected interrogation followed—one soldier even entered a mobile phone conversation with the crew member, questioning their motives while keeping a rifle trained on him.
As the situation evolved, a soldier led the British correspondent to a makeshift room for questioning. In stark contrast to the others, he was told to undress to his underwear—an encounter that escalated into an invasive inspection. Meanwhile, other team members were subjected to prolonged interrogation and humiliating treatment, with threats issued regarding future reporting.
After several hours of detention, the crew was finally freed, with their devices returned—yet many personal photos had been deleted. Left disoriented in an unfamiliar region, the team was assisted by locals in finding their way back to Damascus, keenly aware of how precarious their situation had been throughout the ordeal.
