UN chief: Israel's attacks violate Syria’s sovereignty

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has condemned Israel's attacks on Syria as a violation of the country’s territorial integrity and demanded an immediate halt to all the aggressions against the country.

Guterres on Thursday warned against the presence of Israeli troops in the demilitarized zone between Syria and the occupied Golan Heights, emphasizing that “no military forces other than UN peacekeepers should be in the area.”

He also called on the Israeli regime to uphold the terms of the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement with Syria.

Guterres noted that the conflict in Syria is far from over, with civilians continuing to face death, injury, and displacement.

He reaffirmed the UN's commitment to facilitating an “inclusive, credible, and peaceful” political transition in Syria, stressing that the country’s future must be determined by its people.

He called on the international community to support efforts toward achieving a peaceful transition of power in Syria.

His comments came after Tel Aviv claimed in a message to the UN Security Council that it had taken “limited and temporary measures” in a demilitarized strip on the border in Syrian territory, alleging that the step was taken to “counter any threats” to the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

The buffer zone in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights was created by the United Nations after the 1973 Arab-Israeli War.  A UN force of about 1,100 troops – the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) - had patrolled the area since then.

Israeli troops occupied the summit of Jabal al-Shaykh which provides an observation point for areas in Syria and Lebanon. It rises to 9,232 feet (2,814 meters) and is the highest point on the east coast of the Mediterranean Sea.

The regime’s troops have advanced beyond the so-called buffer zone toward Damascus, while the regime's warplanes have conducted hundreds of aerial assaults on Syria.

They also entered the town of al-Hurriya in Quneitra province on Thursday. Local sources said Israeli forces also carried out a forced evacuation of the residents of the village of Rasem al-Ruwadi in the region. 

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The UN Security Council on Tuesday urged all parties to fully comply with the 1974 Disengagement Agreement regarding the "area of separation" in Syria, calling for calm and a de-escalation of tensions.

In a press statement, the Council members also emphasized their unwavering support for Syria's sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity.

Since the downfall of Assad, Israel has wiped out Syrian naval vessels, sea-to-sea missiles, helicopters and planes, including the entire fleet of MiG-29 fighter jets, and stockpiles of ammunition in attacks on at least five air bases.

The Israeli army occupied the Syrian Golan Heights during the 1967 Six-Day War. Israel refused to withdraw its forces or return the territory amid demands by the UN Security Council Resolution 242.

The Tel Aviv regime has already set up about three dozen Jewish settlements in the occupied Golan over the past years.

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