Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday condemned a decision by Colombia to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, calling the move legally void and a violation of international law.

“The Golan is occupied Syrian territory and no party holds the right to alter its legal status or grant the occupation a legitimacy it does not possess,” the ministry said.

Syria and several Arab states also denounced the Colombian decision on Tuesday as a breach of the UN Charter. The United Nations regards the Golan Heights as Syrian territory under Israeli military occupation.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in remarks today, said the Golan Heights is Israeli land, and Israel remains committed to controlling the plateau because it is vital to Israeli security.

Israel has occupied parts of the Golan Heights since the 1967 war and annexed the area in 1981, a move that was not recognized internationally except by the United States.