UN voices concern over Netanyahu's tour of southern Syria region
Iran Press TV
Thursday, 20 November 2025 9:17 AM
The United Nations has expressed concerns regarding a recent visit by senior Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to the buffer zone in southern Syria that separates the occupied Golan Heights from the rest of the Arab country.
"I think this very public visit is concerning, to say the least," UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told a news conference on Wednesday. "We call on Israel to respect the 1974 Disengagement Agreement."
He added that the issue was raised during the recent meeting between United Nations Deputy Special Envoy for Syria Najat Rochdi and the foreign minister of Syria's ruling Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) regime, Asaad al-Shaibani.
In a statement, Rochdi described the visit by Netanyahu as "a further grave violation of Syria's sovereignty."
"Given the Security Council's affirmation in resolution 2799 (2025) of its full respect for the sovereignty, unity, independence and territorial integrity of Syria, Deputy Special Envoy Rochdi once again calls for Israel's violations to cease and for adherence to the 1974 Disengagement Agreement, and appeals to the Security Council to assume its responsibilities in this regard," the statement noted.
Israeli media reported that Netanyahu visited the Israeli-controlled buffer zone in southern Syria on Wednesday. He was accompanied by minister of military affairs Israel Katz, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, military chief Eyal Zamir, and Shin Bet director David Zini, among others.
The visit came amid reports that Israeli authorities and the HTS regime have been involved in direct talks in recent months, aimed at reaching what is being referred to as a security agreement.
Meanwhile, HTS authorities have condemned the "illegal" visit by high-ranking Israeli officials to Syria's south, calling it a serious breach of the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
They described the visit as "a new attempt to impose a fait accompli", saying it violated UN Security Council resolutions.
The statement said any Israeli measures in southern Syria were "null and void" under international law and repeated the demand for the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Syrian soil.
It urged the international community to curb Israeli actions and press the Tel Aviv regime to return to the 1974 Disengagement Agreement.
Syria "will continue to defend its sovereignty and its rights until every inch of its land is restored," the statement read.
Ibrahim Olabi, representative of the HTS regime to the United Nations, also strongly condemned the provocative tour, stating it "epitomizes Israel's ongoing aggression against Syria and its people".
"We renew our calls on the UN and this council to take firm and immediate action to halt these violations, ensure their non-recurrence, end the occupation and enforce relevant resolutions, particularly the 1974 disengagement agreement," agreed after the 1973 Arab-Israeli War.
Olabi insisted that Israel needs to prove itself before the international community.
"You have struck Syria more than 1,000 times. And we have responded with requests for diplomacy. ... We have responded with zero signs of aggression towards Israel," he said.
"We have engaged constructively, and we still wait for you to do the same," Olabi concluded.
Israel has repeatedly conducted aggressive operations across Syrian territory following the collapse of former President Bashar al-Assad's government late last year.
Netanyahu has ordered his forces to advance further into Syrian territory, targeting the acquisition of several strategically significant locations in the area.
Israel has intensified its presence in Syria by taking control of the buffer zone that divides the occupied Golan Heights from the broader Syrian territory, thereby violating the provisions outlined in the 1974 disengagement agreement.
Analysts caution that the HTS regime's silence, combined with its steps toward normalization with Tel Aviv, has encouraged the Israeli regime to escalate its territorial occupation in Syria and increase its airstrikes on the area.
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