UN, regional countries react to Israel's escalation in Syria

Rudaw Net

03-04-2025

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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The United Nations and regional countries, including Iraq, on Thursday condemned the Israeli airstrikes in Syria, which Tel Aviv says serve as a warning.
The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, condemned 'the repeated and intensifying military escalations by Israel in Syria, including airstrikes that have reportedly resulted in civilian casualties.'
He warned that such actions 'undermine efforts to build a new Syria at peace with itself and the region, and destabilize Syria at a sensitive time,' and urged Israel to cease the attacks which 'could amount to serious violations of international law.'
Israeli airstrikes on Wednesday targeted sites near the Scientific Studies and Research Center (SSRC) in Barzeh, north of Damascus, as well as the Hama military airport and the strategic Tiyas Air Base, widely known as T4, in Homs.
Referencing the series of airstrikes carried out by Israel in Syria on Wednesday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Thursday emphasized that 'The [Israeli] Air Force's activity yesterday… sends a clear message and serves as a warning for the future.'
Notably referring to Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa by his former nom de guerre, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, Katz said, 'I warn Syrian leader Jolani: If you allow hostile forces to enter Syria and threaten Israeli security interests, you will pay a heavy price,' according to a statement relayed by AFP.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) on Thursday reported on 'the major Israeli escalation' which 'killed four defense ministry [personnel] and injured 12 others' in an 'Israeli attack on Hama military airport' which saw 'Israeli warplanes launch 18 airstrikes,' leaving the airport 'completely out of service.'
The UK-based war monitor also reported seven other airstrikes on the T4 Air Base and its vicinity 'leading to human losses.' The total number of Israeli air raids on Syrian territories on Wednesday reached 25, according to SOHR.
For their part, Daraa health officials reported on Wednesday that at least nine civilians were killed and 23 others were injured in the Israeli raids, according to a statement from Daraa province's official channel on Telegram.
Earlier in the day, the Israeli military said it had conducted an infiltration operation, 'confiscating weapons and destroying terrorist infrastructure' along Syria's southern border with Israel, in Daraa province.
Regional reactions
The Israeli military operations in Syria were quick to spark reactions from regional states on Thursday.
Ankara stated that'Israel has become the biggest threat to the region's security with its attacks targeting the territorial integrity and national unity of regional countries.' Turkey noted that 'despite the absence of any provocation or attack from Syria against Israel,' the Israeli 'attacks on Syria' can only be explained by the fact that 'Israel's foreign policy approach feeds on conflict.'
Turkey added that 'Israel must abandon its expansionist policies and stop undermining efforts to establish stability in Syria,' accusing Tel Aviv of 'causing chaos and fueling terrorism as a strategic destabilizing factor in the region.'
The Iraqi foreign ministry also slammed the Israeli 'aggressions, which have resulted in the martyrdom and injury of dozens of innocent civilians, confirm the expansionist and aggressive approach adopted by the [Israeli] occupation government, and represent a flagrant violation of international law and the national sovereignty of states.'
Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry rejected Israel's attempts to threaten' Syria's security. The ministry emphasized 'the necessity for the international community, especially the permanent member-states of the Security Council, to fulfill their role and take a serious and firm stand against these ongoing Israeli violations in Syria and the region, and to activate international accountability mechanisms against them.'
For its part, Qatar's foreign ministry described the Israeli attacks as a 'clear violation of Syria's sovereignty and international law,' urging the international community to take action.
The Egypt foreign ministry on Thursday stated that Cairo "strongly condemns" the recent Israeli airstrikes on several sites in Syria, slamming them as "a blatant new violation of international law, an aggression against Syria's sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, and an exploitation of the internal situation in the sister state of Syria."
In a similar tone, the Jordanian foreign ministry strongly condemned "the recent Israeli aggression" on Syria, adding that it represents "a flagrant violation of international law, an egregious infringement on Syria's sovereignty and unity, and a dangerous escalation that will only contribute to further conflict and tension in the region."
The Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on the international community to "assume its legal and moral responsibilities, compel Israel to cease its illegal provocative attacks on Syria, and end its occupation of part of its territories."
Iran, Israel's arch-foe, also condemned the Israeli airstrikes in Syria. Tehran emphasized 'the need to preserve and protect the territorial integrity and dignity of Syria as a deep-rooted and honorable nation in the important region of West Asia.' Notably, while Iran was a key ally of the ousted Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria, it has yet to establish formal ties with the new rulers in Damascus.
Since the ouster of Assad, Israel has intensified efforts to destroy Damascus's military stockpiles. Israeli forces have also entered a buffer zone east of the annexed Golan Heights, justifying this as a security precaution amid Syria's ongoing political instability.
Katz emphasized on Thursday that Israeli forces 'will continue to operate on the summit of Mount Hermon and in security and buffer zones to protect' Israeli communities in the Golan Heights and the Galilee.
According to SOHR, since the beginning of 2025, Israel has carried out 44 attacks on Syrian territory, including 37 airstrikes and six ground attacks. These military actions have resulted in the destruction of approximately 50 sites, including weapons and ammunition depots, headquarters, command centers, and vehicles.