According to a new analysis from The Jerusalem Post, the potential closure of Syria's massive al-Hol detention camp housing ISIS families poses a significant security threat that could have far-reaching implications. The camp, located just 14 kilometers from the Iraqi border in northeastern Syria, currently holds approximately 40,000 residents, primarily women and children with ties to the Islamic State.
The political landscape in Syria has shifted dramatically following the collapse of the Assad regime in December 2024. President Ahmed al-Sharaa, whose forces now control the country, is reportedly planning to integrate Kurdish militia into the new Syrian army as part of ongoing negotiations. This arrangement would include transferring responsibility for the al-Hol camp to Damascus, raising serious concerns among security experts.
"The children in al-Hol camp have no schools and have been neglected for years. The only education they receive is from their mothers, the ISIS women who make up the majority there," notes security analyst Dr. Yaron Friedman. "In other words, we are talking about the next generation of global jihadist terrorism."
The camp's conditions have been described as horrific, with Kurdish militias occasionally uncovering dormant ISIS cells and evidence of brutal punishments administered by ISIS women against perceived "infidels." Recent raids even discovered Yazidi women—members of an Iraqi sect that suffered brutal persecution under ISIS—being held as enslaved people within the camp.
Of particular concern is the statement from Nur al-Din al-Baba, a spokesman for Syria's Interior Ministry, who indicated the regime would work to release Syrian prisoners from al-Hol to "reintegrate them into Syrian society." While this ostensibly refers to the estimated 12,000 Syrian detainees, questions remain about the fate of approximately 14,000 Iraqi prisoners and 6,800 ISIS-affiliated women from roughly 60 countries worldwide.
The United States further complicates the situation with plans to significantly reduce its military presence in northern Syria, effectively removing protection for Kurdish autonomy in the region. This withdrawal would likely embolden Turkey to increase its intervention in the north of Syria, where it has already seized thousands of square kilometers during the civil war.
Security experts warn that after "re-education," former ISIS prisoners could become the workforce for al-Sharaa's new regime—potentially recruited into police and military forces that have already been implicated in atrocities against the Alawite minority in northwestern Syria and pose threats to the Druze population in the south.
The international community faces difficult choices regarding these developments. Many countries have refused to repatriate their citizens who joined ISIS, citing obvious security concerns. Meanwhile, the United States has been criticized for prematurely lifting sanctions under pressure from Turkey and Qatar, both accused of supporting terrorism.
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