UN chief urges Israel to end strikes, respect Syria's territorial integrity

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has strongly denounced "recent and extensive violations of Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity," and urged Israel to end attacks.

"The secretary-general is particularly concerned over the hundreds of Israeli air strikes on several locations in Syria, stressing the urgent need to de-escalate violence on all fronts throughout the country," spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said at a news conference on Thursday.

He said the UN chief "stresses that the 1974 disengagement agreement remains in force, condemning all actions that will be inconsistent with the agreement."

The agreement between Israel and Syria established the borders of a buffer zone and demilitarised area.

It is monitored by the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), as it is tasked with maintaining a ceasefire between Israel and Syria following the 1973 Middle East War.

Calling on all sides to the agreement "to uphold their obligations under this instrument, including by ending all unauthorised presence in the area of separation," Dujarric said Guterres urges all to refrain "from any action that would undermine the ceasefire and stability in the Golan Heights in this period of rapid change."

"The secretary-general underscores that while maintaining public order, it is imperative to support credible, orderly and inclusive transitional arrangements in Syria," added Dujarric.

'Stop the attacks'

Asked if Israeli claims of trying to prevent weapons from getting into the "wrong hands" could be a justification for repeated attacks against Syria, Dujarric said: "A lot of countries give justification for violating the sovereignty of others.

What is clear is that we are concerned about these repeated violations of serious sovereignty, serious territorial integrity."

Saying that Syria "needs support from its neighbours in order to move towards a form of governance that is inclusive, that is democratic, that protects the rights of minorities," Dujarric stressed that "it is also imperative that those in control in Syria ensure that all weapons and everything comes under control and is not open to looting or disappearance."

Guterres' message to Israel is to stop the attacks on Syria, said Dujarric, and to “other countries that may also be using this opportunity."

"But there's no other countries. We talked about the violations, and specifically those by Israel," he added.

The Israeli army captured the buffer zone in Syria's occupied Golan Heights on Sunday, shortly after Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu announced the collapse of a UN-monitored disengagement agreement with Damascus.

The army mounted hundreds of air strikes against military bases, air defence stations and intelligence headquarters as well as long- and short-range missile depots, and unconventional weapon stockpiles across Syria.

Anti-regime forces seized Damascus on Sunday after a lightning advance that sent Bashar Assad fleeing to Russia after a 13-year civil war and 53 years of rule by his family.