A UN official has called on Israel to immediately halt its military activity in southern Syria and release civilians held by Israel, warning that near-daily incursions and detentions are undermining Syria’s fragile political transition.
“Israeli military activity in southern Syria has continued, including in violation of the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement,” UN Deputy Special Envoy for Syria Claudio Cordone told a UN Security Council session on Syria on Monday.
Cordone said Israeli forces had been “establishing temporary checkpoints and carrying out searches and detentions of civilians”, adding that some detainees had been released following interrogation, while others “reportedly remain in Israeli custody”.
He said protests had taken place demanding their release.
He also reported damage to agricultural lands, restrictions on Syrian civilian access, and a separate incident involving Israeli occupiers crossing into Syrian territory before being returned by the Israeli forces.
“We strongly reiterate our call on Israel to adhere to the 1974 Agreement, release those illegally detained and respect Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Cordone said.
Syria’s counterterrorism efforts
On counterterrorism, Cordone welcomed Syrian authorities’ extensive operations over the past three months, citing more than 230 arrests, including foreign nationals, the dismantling of seven cells linked to Daesh, and the seizure of weapons and equipment across several governorates.
He also praised Damascus for working to insulate Syria from wider regional conflicts, saying Syrian security forces had “reportedly blocked attempts to transfer rockets from Syria into Lebanon” and launched further operations against cross-border smuggling networks.
