'Israel's' attacks violate Syria’s sovereignty: UN chief
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United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says Israeli airstrikes on Syria violate the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity and "must stop".
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UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres answers media questions after he delivered remarks on Syria outside the UN Security Council, on December 19, 2024. (AP)
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has criticized Israeli attacks on Syria, describing them as a violation of Syria's territorial sovereignty and calling for an immediate end to all acts of aggression against the country.
On Thursday, Guterres expressed concerns about the presence of Israeli forces in the demilitarized zone between Syria and the occupied Golan Heights, emphasizing that the area should be settled solely by UN peacekeepers, with no other military forces allowed.
He also urged the Israeli government to adhere to the provisions of the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement with Syria.
Guterres highlighted that the Syrian conflict is far from resolved, with civilians still suffering from death, injury, and displacement. He reiterated the UN's dedication to supporting an "inclusive, credible, and peaceful" political transition in Syria, emphasizing that the country's future should be decided by its own people. He urged the international community to back efforts to secure a peaceful transition of power in Syria.
His statement came after Tel Aviv claimed to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) that it took "limited and temporary measures" in a demilitarized strip on the border in Syrian territory, claiming that the step was taken to "counter any threats" to the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
On Tuesday, the UNSC called on all parties to fully adhere to the 1974 Disengagement Agreement concerning the "area of separation" in Syria, urging for calm and a reduction in tensions. In a press statement, Council members reiterated their steadfast support for Syria's sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity.
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Al Mayadeen's correspondent reported on Wednesday that "Israel" has occupied approximately 440 km² of Syrian territory to date.
The most significant aggression is the Israeli occupation of the Yarmouk Basin and the al-Wehda Dam, located between Syrian and Lebanese territories, our correspondent highlighted.
He indicated that the Israeli occupation military is just 12 km away from the international highway connecting Damascus to the Lebanese capital, Beirut, and pointed out that over the past week, the Israeli occupation launched around 450 airstrikes targeting approximately 50 Syrian military sites.
Local Syrian sources told Al Mayadeen that the Israeli occupation forces continue to infiltrate archaeological sites in Quneitra, with reports of archaeologists entering in Israeli military uniforms.
The sources reported an Israeli incursion from Tel Akasha in the occupied Golan toward the historical town of Breqa in the al-Quneitra countryside.
According to our correspondent in Syria, tensions are escalating in the Ain al-Arab (Kobani) District in northern Syria between the Turkish-backed so-called Syrian National Army militants and the Kurdish US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
