Geir O. Pedersen, the UN special envoy for Syria, has urged Israel to cease military strikes on the country as Syria begins transitioning after five decades of Assad rule.
Rebel forces seized the capital, Damascus, on Sunday, toppling President Bashar al-Assad and taking control of Syria.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Sunday that he had instructed the military to secure the buffer zone separating the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights from the rest of Syria.
On Monday, Israel claimed to have targeted Syria’s chemical weapons facilities and deployed troops into the buffer zone, with plans to establish a “security zone” further within Syrian territory.
The United Nations confirmed Israeli troop movements within the buffer zone, with forces stationed in at least three locations. According to UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, such actions contravene the 1974 Agreement on Disengagement with Syria, as conveyed by the UN’s Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF).
Speaking in Geneva on Tuesday, Pedersen called for an immediate end to Israeli actions, stating, “We are continuing to see Israeli movements and bombardments into Syrian territory. This needs to stop. This is extremely important.”
Middle Eastern nations, including Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, and Qatar, have condemned Israel’s actions, accusing it of exploiting Syria’s instability to expand territorial control.
The Saudi foreign ministry stated that the moves “confirm Israel’s continued violation of international law and its determination to undermine Syria’s chances of restoring stability and territorial integrity.”
The Arab League criticized Israel for “taking advantage of Syria’s internal developments,” while Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi labeled it “an unacceptable escalation and an attack on an Arab state’s sovereignty.”
Qatar’s foreign ministry described Israel’s actions as “a serious escalation,” accusing it of imposing new territorial realities. Egypt’s foreign ministry echoed similar sentiments, asserting that Israel’s actions “exploit the current vacuum in Syria to occupy additional territory, violating international law.”
