United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, during a visit to Syria, condemned Israel's persistent violations of the country's sovereignty, as Israeli forces reportedly carried out new incursions into southwestern Syria. He stressed that Syria's sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity must be fully respected.

On Sunday, Israeli soldiers advanced towards villages in southwestern Syria, setting up a checkpoint at Al-Ardah, with shelling heard nearby, according to Syria's state news agency SANA. Leaflets were dropped warning residents not to obstruct the advance of Israeli vehicles.

Guterres stated that violations of the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement by Israel are unacceptable and must stop. He announced that the UN will submit a comprehensive report to the Security Council at the end of the month.

Israel has conducted increasingly regular incursions into Syrian territory since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. It seized the UN-controlled buffer zone separating the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights from the rest of Syria, claiming the 1974 agreement had collapsed.

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani called for Israel's withdrawal from the buffer zone, calling its military operations a direct threat to regional security. President Ahmed al-Sharaa said Damascus is working on a security agreement with Israel, but stressed Syria's right to the occupied Golan Heights.

Guterres, the first UN chief to visit Syria since 2009, described the country as at a "moment of opportunity" to recover from its 13-year war. He urged the immediate removal of all sanctions on Syria. The World Bank estimates post-war reconstruction could cost $216 billion.

Source: www.aljazeera.com