The United Nations has urged Israel to stop its recurring incursions into areas across southern Syria, halt its violations of the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement, and fully respect Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“I reiterate the Secretary-General’s call for an end to the violations of the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement and full respect for Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Deputy Special Envoy for Syria Claudio Cordone told the UN Security Council on Monday.
Cordone stated that Israeli military offensives in southern Syria continue on a daily basis, highlighting significant construction activities, the establishment of checkpoints, searches, and arrests, along with the lethal shooting of a civilian near an Israeli military site on October 5.
He noted that 49 Syrian nationals are reportedly held in Israeli detention, and referred to a separate event on September 23, in which 14 members of an extremist Israeli settler group crossed into Syria across the ceasefire line before being returned by Israeli forces.
“Diplomacy is the only way to reach agreement on security arrangements, consistent with international law,” Cordone said.
He explained that broader economic factors, such as the devaluation of currency and increasing fuel prices, have diminished the purchasing power for essential goods.
This comes despite some initial financial stabilization efforts, including €620 million ($692 million) in support from the European Union and a $175 million agricultural initiative from the World Bank, which aim to alleviate the impact of sanctions and foster international collaborations.
Cordone stated that the UN, in coordination with Syria’s ruling Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) regime, is considering the possibility of organizing an international conference focused on recovery and reconstruction, which would be based on the Arab nation’s priorities.
“The task now is to translate these opportunities into sustained support for Syria’s recovery,” he said.
Regions adjacent to the Golan Heights, which are under Israeli occupation, have seen a rise in Israeli military incursions this year.
Israeli forces entered southern Syria and areas to the west of Damascus, seizing portions of those territories shortly after foreign-supported Takfiri militants, led by HTS forces, overthrew the government of former President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.
Israeli incursions into southern Syria persist despite a high-level diplomatic meeting in Jordan in August that included Asaad al-Shaibani, the main diplomatic envoy of Syria’s ruling HTS regime, and Roman Gofman, the head of the Israeli Mossad intelligence agency.
Israel has been heavily criticized for ending the 1974 ceasefire agreement with Syria and exploiting the turmoil in the conflict-ridden country to pursue its territorial goals.
Israeli military strikes have mainly focused on the southern Syrian regions of Quneitra, Dara’a, and Damascus, which represent approximately 80 percent of all confirmed Israeli assaults.
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