Prepared by the Center for Countering Violence and Hatred
Documentation of the Western Arzeh Massacre
Release Date: April 2025
Type of Documentation: Investigative documentation report based on direct testimonies from victims’ families
Crime Classification: Crime against humanity, extrajudicial killing, sectarian persecution, failure of authorities to protect civilians
Legal Reference for Classification: Article 7 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court
Location: Western Hama countryside – Western Arzeh town
Victims: Field execution of 21 individuals including a woman and a child, in addition to the complete displacement of the village residents and confiscation of the village
Following a mass massacre and by force of arms, the entire population of Western Arzeh was displaced from their homes on the morning of March 7, 2025. They were not allowed to return, and some of their homes were seized by armed factions with labels such as “Reserved for Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham” or “Reserved for Ahrar al-Sham.”
The story began in Arzeh on the evening of January 31, 2025, when a massacre was committed against eight young men from the village. The residents fled, but later returned after assurances from local dignitaries and a pledge from the General Security checkpoint in the village to protect them.
On the evening of Thursday, March 6, Arzeh was completely quiet with no notable events, except for a Facebook post by Sheikh Abu Jaber Al-Khattabi, a religious figure affiliated with several factions in northwestern Syria before the fall of the Assad regime, currently serving as the head of the educational sector in Khattab village. In his post, he wrote: “The people of Arzeh, the good and the bad, should head to the coast.” His post coincided with chants of “Allahu Akbar” and calls for jihad in several mosques across western Hama countryside.
The residents were alarmed by the post, especially as it came from a highly influential figure connected with factions previously active in the north and linked to the transitional authorities. However, they contacted dignitaries from neighboring villages and the checkpoint at the village entrance, and checkpoint personnel reassured them they were safe and no harm would come to them.
After Friday prayers, calls were made from the mosque in Khattab town to attack Arzeh. Witnesses we contacted said that Abu Jaber Al-Khattabi was the one who called for jihad in Arzeh and led the assault on its people.
Hundreds of armed men launched an attack on the village. They passed through the General Security checkpoint at the village entrance, and according to residents’ testimonies, the checkpoint personnel did not intervene to stop them or protect the villagers.
The gunmen entered the village and began rounding up the men in the village square at gunpoint. One of the victims’ wives told us she asked, “Where are you taking my husband?” The reply was, “We want to interrogate him.”
The armed men gathered the men in the square, subjected them to verbal and physical abuse and sectarian insults, then executed them in a mass field execution in front of some of their wives and children.
After committing the massacre, the attackers went to the homes and ordered all remaining women and children to leave the village before nightfall or face death. Fearing for their lives, the residents complied and fled.
Killing Women Who Refused to Leave
Mrs. “Iman Al-Suleiman” refused to leave her home and insisted on staying, rejecting the forced displacement of the village residents. Her decision cost her life, as the gunmen shot her in the head inside her home.
Killing of Children in Western Arzeh
The killings primarily targeted men, but also included children. The child Mohammad Ali Al-Ismail, 14 years old, was killed alongside his father.
Massacre Victim Toll
The total number of victims in the Western Arzeh massacre on March 7 reached 23 individuals executed on a sectarian basis. They are in addition to 8 victims killed in the January 31, 2025, assault on the village, during which armed groups attacked two homes on the village outskirts, killing 8 people including a minor and a person with disabilities.
Displacement and Property Seizure
All residents of Western Arzeh were displaced on March 7, 2025. Immediately after, their homes and shops were looted by the attacking gunmen, who entered and exited the village through a transitional authority checkpoint without interference.
The attackers wrote on the walls of some abandoned homes on March 8, 2025, messages such as “Reserved for the Hay’a” and “Reserved for Ahrar al-Sham.” These are two military factions that were supposedly dissolved during the Victory Conference held on January 29, 2025, and integrated into the Syrian Ministry of Defense.
After the displacement, the gunmen remained in the village, occupying many homes and farmlands. They drafted rental contracts for some homes and sent images of the contracts via WhatsApp to the homeowners, informing them they had rented their houses. Some villagers were forced to sign contracts during visits to check on their properties.
Notably, the contracts obtained by the Center for Countering Violence and Hatred omitted the rental amount entirely, replacing it with “as agreed,” and likewise noted “as agreed” under payment terms, thus lacking two essential components: rental value and payment method.
Desecration of Graves and Shrines
The attackers vandalized the village cemetery and destroyed grave markers. They also stormed a religious shrine of local significance, in an attack on the sanctity of religious sites and cemeteries.
Ongoing Displacement Until May 22, 2025
Despite a month and a half passing since the displacement and the formation of an investigative committee into the massacres of March 6 and beyond, the authorities have yet to facilitate the return of the residents to their homes. They remain passive as the complete displacement and property seizure of an entire village continues.
Suspension of School Education
School education in the village has been suspended since Thursday, March 6, and to this day, all students have been deprived of education with no signs of any imminent intervention to resolve the situation.
Attempts to Erase the Village’s Identity
Today, Sheikh Abu Jaber Al-Khattabi announced the renaming of Arzeh to “New Khattab” via Facebook, posting a new sign and address for what he called “our new village – New Khattab,” replacing Arzeh.