UN Envoy for Syria Condemns Israel’s ‘Repeated’ Military Attacks, Warns of International Law Violations
Syria has accused Israel of attempting to destabilize the country following a series of intense attacks on airbases and a deadly ground incursion, signaling an escalation in Israeli military activity in the region.
Syria’s state news agency, SANA, reported that Israeli shelling in the southern province of Deraa on Wednesday night killed nine people. It also described the ground incursion by Israeli soldiers as the deepest since the ousting of former President Bashar al-Assad.
On Thursday, Syria’s Foreign Ministry denounced the overnight raids as an “unjustified escalation,” stating they were “a deliberate attempt to destabilize Syria and worsen the suffering of its people.”
An Israeli army spokesperson said the military was responding to gunfire from militants during the ground operation in the Tasil area near Nawa, where it “seized weapons and destroyed terrorist infrastructure.” The spokesperson emphasized, “[Israel’s military] will not allow the existence of a military threat in Syria and will act against it.”
Local residents in Tasil told Reuters that a group of armed locals were killed while confronting an Israeli army contingent that had entered the area to dismantle a former Syrian army encampment.
The UN envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, condemned “the repeated and intensifying military escalations by Israel in Syria,” warning that they undermine “efforts to build a new Syria at peace with itself and the region.” He urged Israel “to cease these attacks, which could amount to serious violations of international law.”
Strategic Airbase Targeted
Israeli warplanes conducted two attacks on military targets near Damascus late on Thursday, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). The strikes targeted positions in al-Kiswah and al-Muqaylibah, though no casualties were immediately reported.
On Wednesday, Israel launched some of its most intense air attacks on Syria since the interim government led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa took power following al-Assad’s ouster in December. The Syrian Foreign Ministry stated that Israel struck five areas within a 30-minute window, nearly destroying the Hama airbase and wounding dozens of civilians and soldiers.
The Israeli military confirmed it had targeted remaining military capabilities at airbases in Hama and Homs, as well as infrastructure in the Damascus area, where Syrian officials reported strikes near a scientific research facility.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated the attacks were “a clear message and a warning for the future – we will not allow the security of the State of Israel to be harmed.”
Meanwhile, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar accused Turkey of playing a “negative role” in Syria, Lebanon, and other regions, claiming it seeks to turn Syria into a “Turkish protectorate.” Turkish officials did not immediately respond to the allegations.
Israel has carried out extensive airstrikes against Syrian military targets since the interim government assumed control. In February, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanded the complete demilitarization of southern Syria, vowing not to tolerate the presence of Syrian forces near Israeli territory.
In December, Netanyahu ordered troops into the UN-patrolled buffer zone along the 1974 armistice line on the occupied Golan Heights, further escalating tensions in the region.
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