United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has criticized Israel’s airstrikes in Syria, demanding an immediate halt to the operations.

“Extensive Israeli air strikes continue. These are violations of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and they must stop,” he stated firmly during a press briefing on Thursday.

Israel initiated its aerial campaigns after the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, aiming to destroy critical weapons and military assets to prevent them from being misused.

“Syria’s sovereignty, territorial unity, and integrity must be fully restored, and all acts of aggression must come to an immediate end,” Guterres emphasized.

Commenting on the buffer zone along the Israel-Syria border, which the IDF entered following the regime’s downfall, he clarified: “Let me be clear: There should be no military forces in the area of separation other than UN peacekeepers – period. Israel and Syria must uphold the terms of the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement, which remains fully in force.”

He also highlighted the United Nations’ focus on promoting a “credible, inclusive, and peaceful” political resolution in Syria while addressing the dire humanitarian crisis in the region.

“It is the obligation of the international community to stand with the people of Syria who have suffered so much. Syria’s future must be shaped by its people, for its people, with the support of all of us,” he added.

In addition, Guterres announced the appointment of Mexican lawyer Karla Quintana to lead the Independent Institution on Missing Persons in Syria. He stressed the importance of allowing her team to execute their mandate without obstruction.

The Independent Institution, established by the UN General Assembly in 2023, is tasked with uncovering the fate of missing individuals and providing support to victims, survivors, and their families.

Quintana, who previously worked with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, led Mexico’s National Search Commission for missing persons between 2019 and 2023.

{Matzav.com}