Saudi Arabia denounced the incursion into the Golan Heights demilitarized zone.
Saudi Arabia stated that Israel’s expanded military presence in Syrian territory undermines efforts to restore stability in the war-torn nation.
Following the fall of Damascus to a coalition of opposition forces led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Israeli troops advanced into Syrian territory over the weekend, seizing the demilitarized buffer zone established after the 1973 Yom Kippur War. This zone borders the Golan Heights, illegally occupied by Israel since 1967.
Reports indicate that the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) conducted airstrikes in Syria on Sunday, continuing into Monday and early Tuesday.
The Saudi Foreign Ministry declared in a statement on Monday that Israel’s actions constitute a “continued breach of international law and a deliberate attempt to sabotage Syria’s efforts to regain security, stability, and territorial integrity.”
Iraq and Qatar also condemned Israel’s actions. The Iraqi Foreign Ministry urged the UN Security Council to condemn the “aggression” against Syria. Syria’s UN envoy, Qusay al-Dahhak, requested the international body to “halt Israeli attacks on Syria and prevent Israel from benefiting from Syria’s transition.”
In a letter to the Security Council, Israeli envoy Danny Danon stated that unidentified “armed groups” attacked UN peacekeepers on the 1973 ceasefire line on Saturday.
Danon wrote that “in response to this evolving security threat and the danger it poses to Israel, particularly to residents of the Golan Heights, Israel has taken limited and temporary measures to counter further threats to its citizens.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu previously announced that he had ordered the IDF to ensure that “no hostile force establishes itself near Israel’s border.” He described the IDF’s advance as “a temporary defensive position until a suitable arrangement is found.”
Syrian opposition forces launched a rapid offensive late last month, capturing Damascus and ousting President Bashar Assad on Sunday. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, Assad agreed to resign following negotiations with unspecified armed groups and has left Syria, reportedly arriving in Moscow with his family.