Syria rejects Netanyahu's tour to its south: A serious violation of sovereignty
Shafaq News – Damascus
Syria’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday condemned a tour by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accompanied by senior officials, to areas Israel has occupied in southern Syria, calling it an “illegal step” and a serious violation of the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
In a statement, the ministry said the visit represents “a new attempt to impose a de facto situation that clearly contradicts relevant UN Security Council resolutions.” It added that the move fits into what it described as Israel’s policy of entrenching its actions and continuing its breaches on Syrian territory.
Since the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December 2024, Israel has intensified its operations inside Syria, targeting depots, vehicles, and weapons sites, and expanding its presence within the buffer zone separating the Golan Heights from Syrian territory, including parts of Mount Hermon (Jabal al-Sheikh).
Damascus reiterated its demand for an end to what it called Israel’s “illegitimate presence on all Syrian land,” stressing that any measures taken by Israeli authorities in the south are “null and void and produce no legal effect under international law.”
The ministry also urged the international community not to overlook Israeli actions and to press Israel for a full withdrawal from southern Syria in line with the 1974 disengagement agreement. It said Syria would continue to defend its sovereignty and rights until all its territory is restored.
بيان صادر عن وزارة الخارجية والمغتربين في الجمهورية العربية السورية pic.twitter.com/x6l6MHU5wq
— وزارة الخارجية والمغتربين السورية (@syrianmofaex) November 19, 2025
In New York, Najat Rochdi, the UN Deputy Special Envoy for Syria, warned of direct risks to civilians stemming from “Israeli violations on Syrian territory.”
Speaking in a briefing to the UN Security Council, Rochdi said Syria is seeking to “build a new era,” noting that the government faces “immense” challenges in meeting commitments related to a comprehensive political transition.
