Israeli attacks, aggressions imperil regional peace, security: Syrian Deputy FM

Deputy Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Bashar al-Ja’afari has censured frequent Israeli attacks against his country, saying such acts of aggression pose serious threats to peace and security in the Middle East region.

During a meeting with acting Head of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) Alan Doyle and his accompanying delegation in Damascus on Tuesday, Ja’afari said Syria supports the organization’s activities within the framework of its mandate — established amidst the 1948 Arab–Israeli War.

He called on the UNTSO to fully undertake its tasks and report to the UN Security Council and other international bodies the repeated Israeli attacks and escalatory moves, which pose serious threats to regional peace and security.

Doyle, for his part, praised Syria for its support for and cooperation with the mission so that it can properly implement its mandate.

He said the UNTSO will strenuously work to cement security and stability in the Middle East.

Syrian Foreign Ministry urges UN, Security Council to bar recurrence of Israeli attacks

The Syrian Army’s air defenses have intercepted an Israel missile in the surroundings of the capital Damascus and the western city of Homs.

The latest Israeli aerial attack, which was launched on August 19, targeted positions near the Syrian capital city of Damascus as well as the western city of Homs. Most missiles, which flew above the southeastern side of Lebanese capital city of Beirut, were intercepted by Syrian air defenses.

Lebanon later lodged a complaint with the United Nations over the Israeli air raids, saying the violation posed a direct and serious threat to the Lebanese navigation and safety of civil aviation, and were in flagrant violation of international resolutions, especially United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 33-day Israeli military onslaught on Lebanon in the summer of 2006.

Syria and the Israeli regime are technically at war since the latter’s 1967 occupation of the Arab country’s Golan Heights.

The Israeli regime maintains a significant military presence in the territory, which it uses as a launch pad for attacks against Syrian soil.

Video: Syria confronts hostile Israeli targets over Damascus, Homs

Syrian air defenses confront Israeli attacks against the capital Damascus and the western city of Homs.

Syria has been grappling with foreign sponsored militancy since 2011.

The Israel attacks started to grow significantly in scale and frequency after Syria — backed by its allies — gained the upper hand in the battle against the militant groups operating against the Damascus government and reversed their gains countrywide.

On countless occasions, the raids have targeted the reinforcements of the Syrian military and its allied counter-terrorism forces, including those of Lebanon’s Hezbollah resistance movement.  

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