Arab League chief: Israeli attacks on Syria 'provocative escalation'
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The Secretary-General of the Arab League denounces the Israeli occupation's aggression on Syria as escalatory and provocative.
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People participate in a rally in the town of Majdal Shams, close to the Syrian border, demanding the Israeli occupation return the occupied Golan Heights to Syria, Friday Feb. 14, 2025 (AP)
Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit on Wednesday condemned Israeli airstrikes on Syria, calling them a "reckless provocation" aimed at exploiting the country's political transition to impose an "illegal and illegitimate reality."
In a statement, Aboul Gheit denounced the strikes that targeted al-Kiswah in the Damascus countryside and Izraa in Daraa on Tuesday night, warning that such actions serve to "ignite regional tensions and obstruct Syria’s political transition."
"Israel’s occupation of any Syrian land is a violation of international law," he said, urging the international community to take a firm stance against the "unjustified aggression." He also reaffirmed the Arab League’s solidarity with Syria in the face of Israeli attacks and "blatant attempts to sow discord."
Israeli Security Minister Israel Katz confirmed the strikes, warning that any attempt by Syrian regime forces "to establish themselves in the security zone in southern Syria will be met with fire."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meanwhile, declared on Sunday that the Israeli military would remain in Syria’s buffer zone "indefinitely" and called for the area’s demilitarization.
Following the collapse of the Bashar al-Assad government in December, the Israeli regime expanded its occupation of the Syrian Golan Heights by seizing the demilitarized buffer zone—an act that violated the 1974 disengagement agreement. Tel Aviv has also escalated its airstrikes against Syrian military positions.
The Israeli occupation's movement in the Golan Heights, which it has occupied since 1967, have drawn condemnation from the UN and several Arab nations.
Demonstrations sweep southern Syria
A large demonstration took place Tuesday in the al-Karama Square in central Suwayda, Syria, with the participation of professional, trade, and local community groups, in condemnation of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent statements regarding southern Syria and in rejection of any interference in the country's internal affairs.
Netanyahu said on Sunday that southern Syria must be completely demilitarized.
"We will not allow forces from the HTS organisation or the new Syrian army to enter the area south of Damascus," he said, referring to the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which spearheaded the offensive that toppled Bashar al-Assad in December.
"We demand the complete demilitarisation of southern Syria, including the Quneitra, Daraa and Suwayda provinces," the Israeli premier declared at a military ceremony.
"Likewise, we will not tolerate any threat to the Druze community in southern Syria," he added.
The demonstrators on Tuesday affirmed their “rejection of all separatist and partition projects,” calling on all local and national entities to “stand against the Israeli agenda being promoted.”
