Published : 14-02-2025
Fayez Abu Eid | Action Group
Palestinians in Tasil suffered from the horrors of war early on, as the town was one of the first areas to face the brutal war machine of the defunct Syrian regime forces. It was subjected to heavy shelling with mortar shells, explosive barrels, and airstrikes, earning it the nickname “Khansa of Hauran” due to the extent of the destruction and suffering it endured.
“Tasil was one of the first towns to be bombed with Scud surface-to-surface missiles, especially when Free Syrian Army fighters tried to storm Tal al-Jumu’, which has great strategic importance,” says Muhammad al-Nimrini, a Palestinian resident of the town who joined the Syrian revolution from the beginning.
He added: “The town was subjected to more than 200 explosive barrels and over 200 airstrikes, in addition to continuous shelling with mortar shells and artillery.”
Tasil, like other towns in Daraa, entered the furnace of conflict. The first demonstration took place on March 20, 2011, and the town continued its protests even after the armed struggle took on an organized form in November 2011.
Security and Military Campaigns
The town endured five security and military campaigns. The first was on July 2, 2011, followed by another on September 14, 2011, then a third on September 16, 2011. The fourth campaign, on February 8, 2012, saw the town stormed with tanks and BMPs, accompanied by indiscriminate shooting, mass arrests, and widespread looting of private property. Homes and shops were set ablaze in a campaign that lasted about a week.
The fifth campaign, on June 1, 2012, resulted in further destruction, vandalism, and abuses against civilians.
In 2014, Tasil, in the western countryside of Daraa, was heavily shelled by regime forces using rocket launchers and explosive barrels, forcing residents to flee and seek shelter in nearby fields.
ISIS Control
The suffering of Palestinians in Tasil did not stop there.
In 2016, the town fell under ISIS control, worsening the humanitarian crisis. Many Palestinians were forced to flee to neighboring villages in search of safety. However, the town remained committed to its national identity and did not abandon its values despite the hardships.
The liberation of Tasil by the Free Syrian Army in 2017 marked a turning point. It was one of the first areas to be freed from ISIS control, signaling the beginning of the group’s collapse in Daraa, as neighboring villages and towns soon followed, ultimately ending ISIS’s presence in the region.
Settlement Agreement
In 2018, Tasil, like the rest of Daraa’s towns, became subject to a settlement agreement between the regime forces and opposition factions. The return of regime forces reignited old fears among residents, particularly the Palestinians, who had suffered under the regime’s oppressive policies for years.
Yet, the people of Tasil remained steadfast, clinging to the hope of change.
Since the start of the revolution, around 1,000 residents have been detained, with 40 forcibly disappeared, including several Palestinian refugees.
A Sigh of Relief
When the fall of the Assad regime was announced in December 2024, Palestinians in Tasil breathed a sigh of relief. Their hearts filled with joy after years of suffering, as hope for dignity and freedom was finally restored. They became more convinced that every tyrant and oppressor is destined to fall and that their struggle for a better future would continue.
A 2014 study indicated that there were 46 Palestinian families in Tasil, with a population of 258 people. This number declined after ISIS took control in 2016, only to rise again after the war ended in 2018. Now, with the fall of the Assad regime, Palestinians eagerly await the return of the displaced to their town.
Fayez Abu Eid | Action Group
Palestinians in Tasil suffered from the horrors of war early on, as the town was one of the first areas to face the brutal war machine of the defunct Syrian regime forces. It was subjected to heavy shelling with mortar shells, explosive barrels, and airstrikes, earning it the nickname “Khansa of Hauran” due to the extent of the destruction and suffering it endured.
“Tasil was one of the first towns to be bombed with Scud surface-to-surface missiles, especially when Free Syrian Army fighters tried to storm Tal al-Jumu’, which has great strategic importance,” says Muhammad al-Nimrini, a Palestinian resident of the town who joined the Syrian revolution from the beginning.
He added: “The town was subjected to more than 200 explosive barrels and over 200 airstrikes, in addition to continuous shelling with mortar shells and artillery.”
Tasil, like other towns in Daraa, entered the furnace of conflict. The first demonstration took place on March 20, 2011, and the town continued its protests even after the armed struggle took on an organized form in November 2011.
Security and Military Campaigns
The town endured five security and military campaigns. The first was on July 2, 2011, followed by another on September 14, 2011, then a third on September 16, 2011. The fourth campaign, on February 8, 2012, saw the town stormed with tanks and BMPs, accompanied by indiscriminate shooting, mass arrests, and widespread looting of private property. Homes and shops were set ablaze in a campaign that lasted about a week.
The fifth campaign, on June 1, 2012, resulted in further destruction, vandalism, and abuses against civilians.
In 2014, Tasil, in the western countryside of Daraa, was heavily shelled by regime forces using rocket launchers and explosive barrels, forcing residents to flee and seek shelter in nearby fields.
ISIS Control
The suffering of Palestinians in Tasil did not stop there.
In 2016, the town fell under ISIS control, worsening the humanitarian crisis. Many Palestinians were forced to flee to neighboring villages in search of safety. However, the town remained committed to its national identity and did not abandon its values despite the hardships.
The liberation of Tasil by the Free Syrian Army in 2017 marked a turning point. It was one of the first areas to be freed from ISIS control, signaling the beginning of the group’s collapse in Daraa, as neighboring villages and towns soon followed, ultimately ending ISIS’s presence in the region.
Settlement Agreement
In 2018, Tasil, like the rest of Daraa’s towns, became subject to a settlement agreement between the regime forces and opposition factions. The return of regime forces reignited old fears among residents, particularly the Palestinians, who had suffered under the regime’s oppressive policies for years.
Yet, the people of Tasil remained steadfast, clinging to the hope of change.
Since the start of the revolution, around 1,000 residents have been detained, with 40 forcibly disappeared, including several Palestinian refugees.
A Sigh of Relief
When the fall of the Assad regime was announced in December 2024, Palestinians in Tasil breathed a sigh of relief. Their hearts filled with joy after years of suffering, as hope for dignity and freedom was finally restored. They became more convinced that every tyrant and oppressor is destined to fall and that their struggle for a better future would continue.
A 2014 study indicated that there were 46 Palestinian families in Tasil, with a population of 258 people. This number declined after ISIS took control in 2016, only to rise again after the war ended in 2018. Now, with the fall of the Assad regime, Palestinians eagerly await the return of the displaced to their town.
