The United Nations and several countries condemned Israel on Wednesday (11) for its continued military operations in Syria, despite the Syrian interim government announcing on Tuesday (10) that it had officially assumed power.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who was visiting South Africa, made a final statement on the Syrian issue on Wednesday night.
He reiterated that Syria’s territorial integrity and sovereignty must be maintained and called on all parties involved to promote an inclusive political process.
Guterres also condemned Israel’s continued illegal occupation of the Golan Heights, saying such actions not only violate international law but also further exacerbate the situation in the region.
On the same day, several countries including Russia, France and Germany issued statements condemning Israel’s recent military operations in Syria.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova expressed at a press conference that recent Israeli military actions on Syrian territory violated the Agreement on Disconnection between Israel and Syria signed on May 31, 1974, exacerbating the turmoil in Syria.
The French Foreign Ministry said Israel must withdraw its troops from the buffer zone between the occupied Golan Heights and Syrian territory. It also noted that any buffer zone military deployment would violate the Agreement on Disengagement.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock pointed out that Germany would not allow the internal dialogue process in Syria to be harmed by external forces.
Israeli attacks in Syria after Assad’s fall
The Israeli Defense Forces announced on Wednesday that they have reached most of Syria’s strategic weapons reserves in the last 48 hours. In the buffer zone in southern Syria, the Israeli army recently seized several Syrian tanks and many weapons and equipment.
The Israeli army said it currently continues to operate in Syria and the buffer zone between the two countries.
They also said their paratrooper brigade and commandos are conducting defensive operations and eliminating threats in the buffer zone.
Understand the conflict in Syria
The Assad family regime was overthrown in Syria on December 8, after 50 years in power, when rebel groups took over the capital Damascus.
President Bashar al-Assad has fled the country and is in Moscow after gaining asylum, according to a source in Russia.
Syria’s civil war began during the Arab Spring in 2011, when the regime of Bashar al-Assad suppressed a pro-democracy uprising.
The country was plunged into full-scale conflict when a rebel force was formed, known as the Free Syrian Army, to fight government troops.
Furthermore, the Islamic State, a terrorist group, also managed to gain a foothold in the country and came to control 70% of Syrian territory.
Fighting escalated as other regional actors and world powers — from Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United States to Russia — joined in, escalating the country’s war into what some observers described as a “proxy war.”
Russia has allied with Bashar al-Assad’s government to combat the Islamic State and rebels, while the United States has led an international coalition to repel the terrorist group.
After a ceasefire agreement in 2020, the conflict remained largely “dormant”, with minor clashes between the rebels and the Assad regime.
More than 300,000 civilians have been killed in more than a decade of war, according to the UN, and millions of people have been displaced across the region.
This content was originally published in UN and world leaders condemn Israel for military operations in Syria on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
