Senior UN officials have warned that repeated Israeli attacks and violations on Syrian territory directly threaten the political transition the country has been undergoing since the fall of the former regime last December.
This came during an emergency session convened by the UN Security Council at the invitation of Algeria and Somalia, which was devoted to discussing the latest dangerous developments in Syria, particularly after the recent Israeli escalation in southern and central Syria.
In his briefing to the Council, Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General for Middle East, Asia and the Pacific, said that Israel has launched hundreds of airstrikes on targets inside Syria since December 8, 2024, the date of the fall of the Assad regime.
Khiari added that the Israeli army has established new military positions in the separation zone in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, pointing to statements by Israeli officials about their intention to remain inside Syria for the coming period.
He explained that these field movements "cannot be easily reversed," warning that they threaten the political transition process that the UN seeks to foster after years of conflict.
For his part, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, revealed continued Israeli violations of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement, with Israeli military forces entering the buffer zone since last December, building roadblocks, and preventing civilian movement.
Lacroix added that the Israeli military is imposing restrictions on the movement of United Nations Disengagement Observers (UNDOF) personnel, as well as on the movement of local residents, leading to popular protests in some villages.
He also noted the Israeli military's seizure of livestock and the detention of civilians, noting residents' appeals to UN forces to intervene and demand that Israel leave their villages.
Lacroix emphasized in his remarks that all parties must respect their obligations under the Disengagement Agreement, emphasizing that "all actions contrary to the agreement are unacceptable," and that UNDOF "remains essential to the stability of the Golan Heights and Syria as a whole."
On April 2, Israel bombed Daraa Governorate, killing nine civilians and wounding 23 others. It also launched a series of airstrikes on the Damascus, Hama, and Homs countrysides, part of an ongoing military escalation that has sparked widespread concern in international circles.
Comments About This Article
Please fill the fields below.