UN Demands Israel Halt Syria Violations as 5.5M Remain Displaced
(MENAFN) The UN urged Israel on Monday to stop breaching the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement and to fully respect Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Deputy Special Envoy for Syria Claudio Cordone delivered the message to the UN Security Council. “I reiterate the Secretary-General’s call for an end of the violations of the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement and full respect for Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he said.
Cordone told the council that Israeli military operations in southern Syria are continuing daily, including extensive construction, checkpoints, searches and detentions. He cited the fatal shooting of a civilian near an Israeli military position on Oct. 5 and said 49 people are reportedly still held in Israeli custody. He also described a Sept. 23 incident in which 14 members of an Israeli occupier group crossed the ceasefire line into Syria before Israeli forces escorted them back.
Israel has widened its military presence since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime on Dec. 8, 2024, moving troops into the demilitarized buffer zone in the occupied Golan Heights and nearby positions, citing security concerns. Damascus has demanded a full withdrawal from occupied areas and reaffirmed its commitment to the 1974 accord.
“Diplomacy is the only way to reach agreement on security arrangements, consistent with international law,” said Cordone.
On the economy, Cordone said a weaker currency and rising fuel prices have cut into people’s ability to afford basic goods. Sanctions relief and international partnerships, among them €620 million ($692 million) in EU support and a $175 million World Bank agricultural initiative, are providing early financial stability, he said.
He added that the UN is working with Damascus to explore an international conference on recovery and reconstruction, “grounded in Syria’s priorities.”
“The task now is to translate these opportunities into sustained support for Syria’s recovery,” he said.
UN Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mohammed Yahya warned that more than 5.5 million Syrians remain displaced, even though over 3.8 million refugees and internally displaced people have returned. More than 770,000 live in camps, where women and children make up three-quarters of residents.
“The goal must not be simply to help families return but to concretely help them stay and rebuild their lives,” Yahya said, adding that explosive ordnance has caused 2,500 casualties since December 2024 and that the 2026 response plan is only 32% funded.
Civil society leader George Batah, speaking to the council from Damascus, said 2.7 million children are out of school and about 8,000 facilities are not functioning. He argued that “investment in education is how rebuilding begins.”
Hajir Maalim, regional director of Plan International, warned that only 16.5% of the sector’s $337 million requirement has been funded. “an entire generation risks being left behind.”
The US told the meeting it welcomes the “ongoing progress” Syria is making on “political, humanitarian and security priorities.”
Deputy Special Envoy for Syria Claudio Cordone delivered the message to the UN Security Council. “I reiterate the Secretary-General’s call for an end of the violations of the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement and full respect for Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he said.
Cordone told the council that Israeli military operations in southern Syria are continuing daily, including extensive construction, checkpoints, searches and detentions. He cited the fatal shooting of a civilian near an Israeli military position on Oct. 5 and said 49 people are reportedly still held in Israeli custody. He also described a Sept. 23 incident in which 14 members of an Israeli occupier group crossed the ceasefire line into Syria before Israeli forces escorted them back.
Israel has widened its military presence since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime on Dec. 8, 2024, moving troops into the demilitarized buffer zone in the occupied Golan Heights and nearby positions, citing security concerns. Damascus has demanded a full withdrawal from occupied areas and reaffirmed its commitment to the 1974 accord.
“Diplomacy is the only way to reach agreement on security arrangements, consistent with international law,” said Cordone.
On the economy, Cordone said a weaker currency and rising fuel prices have cut into people’s ability to afford basic goods. Sanctions relief and international partnerships, among them €620 million ($692 million) in EU support and a $175 million World Bank agricultural initiative, are providing early financial stability, he said.
He added that the UN is working with Damascus to explore an international conference on recovery and reconstruction, “grounded in Syria’s priorities.”
“The task now is to translate these opportunities into sustained support for Syria’s recovery,” he said.
UN Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mohammed Yahya warned that more than 5.5 million Syrians remain displaced, even though over 3.8 million refugees and internally displaced people have returned. More than 770,000 live in camps, where women and children make up three-quarters of residents.
“The goal must not be simply to help families return but to concretely help them stay and rebuild their lives,” Yahya said, adding that explosive ordnance has caused 2,500 casualties since December 2024 and that the 2026 response plan is only 32% funded.
Civil society leader George Batah, speaking to the council from Damascus, said 2.7 million children are out of school and about 8,000 facilities are not functioning. He argued that “investment in education is how rebuilding begins.”
Hajir Maalim, regional director of Plan International, warned that only 16.5% of the sector’s $337 million requirement has been funded. “an entire generation risks being left behind.”
The US told the meeting it welcomes the “ongoing progress” Syria is making on “political, humanitarian and security priorities.”
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