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Qatar, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Iran have decried Israel\u2019s seizure of land in Syria near the occupied Golan Heights as the Israeli military continues to launch air strikes across the country.<\/p>\n
The Qatari Foreign Ministry said on Monday that Doha considers the Israeli incursion \u201ca dangerous development and a blatant attack on Syria\u2019s sovereignty and unity as well as a flagrant violation of international law\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe policy of imposing a fait accompli pursued by the Israeli occupation, including its attempts to occupy Syrian territories, will lead the region to further violence and tension,\u201d it added.<\/p>\n
Israel started attacking Syria after the armed opposition in the country toppled the government of former President Bashar al-Assad early on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Saudi Arabia slammed the Israeli moves on Monday, saying that they confirm \u201cIsrael\u2019s continued violation of the rules of international law and its determination to sabotage Syria\u2019s chances of restoring its security, stability and territorial integrity\u201d.<\/p>\n
The kingdom\u2019s Foreign Ministry also called on the international community to denounce the Israeli campaign, stressing that the\u00a0Golan Heights\u00a0is an occupied Arab territory.<\/p>\n
Baghdad echoed the criticism, saying Israel has committed a \u201cgrave violation under international law\u201d.<\/p>\n
Iraq \u201cstresses the importance of maintaining Syria\u2019s sovereignty and integrity and calls on the UN Security Council to uphold its responsibility and condemn this aggression \u2026 and put an end to it,\u201d a statement by the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs read.<\/p>\n
Iran also condemned Israel\u2019s incursion as a \u201cviolation\u201d of the law. \u201cThis aggression is a flagrant violation of the United Nations charter,\u201d foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said in a statement published on Monday night.<\/p>\n
On Sunday, Israel quickly moved in and seized the buffer zone separating the occupied Golan Heights from Syrian-controlled areas. The Israeli military also warned Syrians living in five villages near the strategic area to \u201cstay home\u201d.<\/p>\n
Israel occupied most of the\u00a0Golan Heights\u00a0in 1967 and illegally annexed the territory in 1981.<\/p>\n
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he ordered Israeli forces to grab the buffer zone, established in a 1974 ceasefire with Syria, shortly after al-Assad was overthrown.<\/p>\n
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Netanyahu said the occupied Golan Heights would remain with Israel \u201cfor eternity\u201d.<\/p>\n
He also thanked US President-elect Donald Trump for recognising Israel\u2019s claimed sovereignty over the territory during his first term. International law strictly prohibits the acquisition of land by force.<\/p>\n
Israel\u2019s recent land grab was also slammed by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres\u2019s spokesman Stephane Dujarric, who said the move constitutes \u201ca violation\u201d of the 1974 disengagement agreement between Israel and Syria.<\/p>\n
The UN peacekeeping force deployed in the Golan Heights, known as UNDOF, \u201cinformed the Israeli counterparts that these actions would constitute a violation of the 1974 disengagement agreement\u201d, Dujarric said. He added that the Israeli forces that entered the zone were still present in three locations.<\/p>\n
\u2018More than 100 strikes\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n Beyond the land incursion, Israeli forces have been bombing targets across Syria since\u00a0al-Assad\u2019s ouster\u00a0on Sunday.<\/p>\n The Reuters news agency quoted Syrian security forces as saying Israel bombed three airbases in Syria \u2013 sites near Damascus, Homs and Qamishli \u2013 on Monday.<\/p>\n Israel also launched attacks on military assets in the coastal city of Latakia, Reuters reported.<\/p>\n The Israeli military usually does not claim responsibility for attacks in Syria.<\/p>\n Israel conducted three air strikes in Damascus a day earlier against a security complex and a government research centre, two security sources said.<\/p>\n The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor, said Israel launched more than 100 air strikes on military sites across the country on Monday.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n