UN, in a move to counter Israel's moves in the Syrian Golan Heights, extends UNDOF mandate in the region and condemns attacks in Syria
The UN, which relentlessly harasses Israel, continues its international steps against it, despite the drastic change in Syria's international status and as if a terrorist organization had not taken over the country and the subsequent consequences on the borders, especially with Israel, that have occurred since then.
The UN Security Council, at a meeting on Friday, December 20, expressed its concern about Israeli military activity in southern Syria, and in doing so approved the extension of the mandate of the UN force (known as: “peacekeeping” forces) for a period of six months, the Security Council approved, Reuters reported.
According to the UN Security Council, “both sides must adhere to the terms of the 1974 “Disengagement of Forces” agreement between Israel and Syria and “strictly observe the ceasefire.” . According to them, armed forces from Israel and Syria are not allowed to be in the demilitarized zone, which is considered a “zone of separation” of about 400 square kilometers, under the ceasefire agreement.
“It should be clear: there should be no military forces in the buffer zone other than UN peacekeeping forces,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Thursday.
The UN Secretary-General added that “Israeli airstrikes on Syria constitute a violation of the State’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and “must cease.”
On December 17, a spokesman for the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) said that the presence of the Israeli military in its area of operation in the Syrian Golan Heights had severely affected its freedom of movement and its ability to carry out its operational, logistical and administrative activities.
While the UN force continues to implement its mandate to monitor and report on its positions from across the separation zone, its movement remains severely restricted under the current circumstances, the spokesman added.
At a press conference held in New York, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said that the UNDOF task force carries out “approximately 55 to 60 operational missions and logistics activities daily, and is currently limited to three to five basic logistics movements each day, which is severely impacting its operations.”