Israeli troops seize southern Syrian farmland, displacing villagers and destroying crops.

Israeli troops have seized large swaths of farmland in southern Syria, using chemicals, bulldozers and mass arrests to prevent farmers from accessing their plots. The operation began in early March after a flare‑up in the Idlib region, when Israel cited security concerns over Iranian‑backed militias operating near its border. Local reports say the military set up fences and sprayed herbicides on fields that had been cultivated for generations, and detained dozens of villagers who tried to return to their land.

The move comes amid a growing humanitarian crisis in Syria. More than half of the country’s population now faces food shortages, and the United Nations estimates that aid deliveries have fallen by 50 per cent since the conflict began in 2011. The destruction of crops is a deliberate tactic to weaken the local economy and limit the capacity of civilians to resist. Analysts point to a pattern of scorched‑earth policies that have been used by both sides in the Syrian civil war, but this is the first time Israeli forces have carried out such an operation on Syrian soil in more than a decade.

Human rights organisations have condemned the actions, calling them a violation of international law. The United Nations has issued a statement demanding the immediate removal of Israeli forces from the area and the restoration of farming rights. Syrian officials have called the operation an “act of aggression” and urged the international community to impose sanctions on Israel. Meanwhile, local farmers have begun to organize clandestine efforts to grow seedlings in hidden gardens, hoping to preserve some food supply for their families.

If Israel does not withdraw, the region could see a sharp rise in displacement as families lose their livelihoods. The United Nations has warned that the loss of agricultural output could push thousands into the already overburdened aid corridors in neighboring Turkey and Lebanon. The international community faces a choice: pressure Israel to reverse its actions and restore aid, or risk a new wave of refugees and a deepening humanitarian crisis in the Levant.