Syria condemns Netanyahu’s visit to occupied southern territory as ‘provocative’

Syria has sharply criticised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the country’s south, denouncing the trip as a blatant provocation and a violation of its sovereignty. Netanyahu, accompanied by senior ministers and security chiefs, toured areas of southern Syria that Israeli troops have occupied for months.

Al Jazeera reported that Syria’s ambassador to the United Nations, Ibrahim Olabi, told the UN Security Council on Wednesday that the visit “epitomises Israel’s ongoing aggression against Syria and its people”, calling on the UN to take “firm and immediate action” to halt further violations. Damascus insists the presence of Israeli forces breaches the 1974 disengagement agreement that followed the Arab-Israeli War and continues to undermine regional stability.

Israel expanded its military presence in the south after the collapse of former President Bashar al-Assad’s regime last December, maintaining troops within a UN-patrolled buffer zone in the Golan Heights. The Israeli government argues the 1974 agreement is no longer valid following al-Assad’s ouster.

UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said Netanyahu’s “very public” visit was “concerning, to say the least”, noting that a recently passed Security Council resolution reaffirmed Syria’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.

During the security council session, Israeli ambassador Danny Danon avoided addressing the visit directly but used his remarks to criticise Syria, urging Damascus to demonstrate a break from “extremism and radicalism”. In response, Olabi accused Israel of carrying out more than 1,000 air strikes and hundreds of ground incursions in recent years while Syria “responded with requests for diplomacy” and had shown “zero signs of aggression”.

Syria’s foreign ministry issued a separate statement condemning Netanyahu’s trip as a “serious violation” of international law. The visit came as Israel renewed incursions into the southern province of Quneitra, including the establishment of new military checkpoints.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa said in September that Israel had conducted more than 1,000 air raids and over 400 ground operations in Syria since the fall of al-Assad, describing the escalation as “very dangerous”.

Despite the tensions, both countries are still engaged in negotiations on a potential security arrangement that analysts suggest could be finalised by year-end. Correspondents at the UN noted that while Wednesday’s exchange underscored the deep mistrust between the two sides, it is unlikely to derail ongoing talks.