UNDOF has patrolled the demilitarised zone between Israeli-occupied Golan and Syria since 1974 [Jalaa Marey/AFP/Getty]
The UN Security Council on Friday extended a peacekeeping mission in a demilitarized zone between the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and the rest of Syria for six months, despite the Israeli army occupying new areas of Syria earlier in December.
In the resolution adopted on Friday, the Security Council stressed “that both parties must abide by the terms of the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement between Israel and the Syria and scrupulously observe the ceasefire.”
It expressed concern that “the ongoing military activities conducted by any actor in the area of separation continue to have the potential to escalate tensions between Israel and Syria, jeopardise the ceasefire between the two countries, and pose a risk to the local civilian population and United Nations personnel on the ground.”
Israel has occupied Syria’s Golan Heights since the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. A 400 square km UN-patrolled demilitarised zone was established between the Golan and the rest of Syria, after a disengagement agreement was negotiated by the UN in 1974.Â
However, after a lightning rebel offensive ousted Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad‘s regime on 8 December, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes in Gaza, announced that the 1974 Agreement on Disengagement with Syria was “over”.
Israeli troops moved into the demilitarised zone, capturing towns and villages and expelling their inhabitants. Israel also captured the peak and Syrian side of Mount Hermon.
Netanyahu said his military must occupy Mount Hermon until late 2025 and Israel claims its incursions are for “security” purposes. Israel has also launched massive airstrikes on military sites in the rest of Syria, claiming to have destroyed most of the country’s strategic weapons.
The interim government in Damascus which took over after the rebel offensive has called on the international community to pressure Israel to pull out of Syrian territories captured this month.
The latest incursions took place on Friday when Israel took towns and villages in Quneitra province. In the neighbouring Daraa province, one man who took part in a demonstration against invading Israeli forces was shot in the leg by Israeli troops.
On Saturday, Israeli forces reportedly detained two people in southwest Syria.
(Agencies contributed to this report)
