China, Pakistan Denounce Israel’s Syria Airstrikes

(MENAFN) China and Pakistan have issued sharp rebukes of Israel’s recent military actions in Syria, denouncing the airstrikes as a serious breach of international norms and a threat to regional stability.

Speaking before the UN Security Council on Thursday, Geng Shuang, China’s deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, said Israel’s air raids violated international law and undermined Syria’s sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity. He warned that the strikes risk destabilizing efforts toward political resolution in the war-torn country.

“China unequivocally condemns these acts. We call on Israel to immediately cease its military strikes on Syria and withdraw from Syrian territory without delay,” Geng said.

Pakistan echoed the condemnation. Asim Iftikhar Ahmed, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, criticized Israeli operations targeting Suwayda, Daraa, and central Damascus, along with reports of an Israeli military redeployment in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights.

“These acts represent a grave and deliberate escalation and are a flagrant violation of international law, the UN Charter, relevant Security Council resolutions and Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Ahmed stated, according to a release by Pakistan’s UN Mission.

Ahmed also welcomed a recently brokered ceasefire in Suwayda, noting the fragile progress Syria has made after years of devastating conflict.

“After more than a decade of conflict, the Syrian people are beginning to nurture a sense of renewed hope, hope for peace, for dignity, and for the reconstruction of their country,” he said.

The diplomatic backlash follows intense fighting in Syria’s southern Suwayda province, where violent clashes between Druze and Bedouin factions reportedly claimed over 30 lives. Tensions have also surged within Israel’s Druze community amid the unrest.

Israeli officials defended the airstrikes, claiming they were conducted to safeguard the Druze population in Syria.

On Wednesday, Israeli warplanes targeted key government infrastructure in Damascus, including the presidential palace, the General Staff Headquarters, and the Ministry of Defense.

Meanwhile, Syria’s Interior Ministry confirmed a ceasefire agreement has taken effect in Suwayda. The deal reportedly includes provisions to restore full authority to the central government in the province.

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