Multiple countries and the United Nations on Wednesday condemned Israel for its continued military operations in Syria despite that the Syrian interim government announced on Tuesday that it had officially taken over power.
According to Syrian media reports on Tuesday, the Syrian interim government with Mohammed al-Bashir as caretaker prime minister officially took over power on the day, and the deadline for establishing the interim government is tentatively set by March 1, 2025. The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) announced on the following day the lifting of the curfew in Damascus, and called on the Syrian people to return to work.
According to Qatar's Al Jazeera on Wednesday, al-Bashir said on the same day that one of his top priorities was to allow millions of Syrian refugees overseas to return home.
AFP cited the head of Damascus International Airport in the Syrian capital as saying on Wednesday that the airport will reopen in the "next few days," and flights can be resumed within a short period of time.
The Israeli Defense Forces announced on Wednesday that they had struck most of Syria's strategic weapons reserves in the past 48 hours. In the buffer zone in southern Syria, the Israeli army has recently seized several Syrian tanks and a large number of weapons and equipment.
The Israeli army said it is currently continuing to operate in Syria and in the buffer zone between the two countries.
They also said their paratrooper brigade and commandos are conducting defensive operations and eliminating threats in the buffer zone.
Israel's continued military operation in Syria has triggered strong condemnation from many countries and international organizations.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who was visiting South Africa, made his latest statement on the Syrian issue on Wednesday evening. He reiterated that Syria's territorial integrity and sovereignty must be maintained and called on all parties concerned to promote an inclusive political process.
Guterres also condemned Israel's continued illegal occupation of the Golan Heights, saying such actions not only violated international law, but also further exacerbated the situation in the region.
On the same day, multiple countries including Russia, France, and Germany issued statements, condemning Israel's recent military operations in Syria.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a press conference that the recent Israeli military actions in Syria violated the Agreement on Disengagement between Israel and Syria signed on May 31, 1974, exacerbating the turmoil in Syria.
Russia calls on all parties concerned to take a responsible attitude and work together to restore Syria's national security and stability as soon as possible. the spokeswoman said.
The French Foreign Ministry said that Israel must withdraw its troops from the buffer zone between the occupied Golan Heights and Syrian territory. It also noted that any military deployment by Israel in the buffer zone would violate the Agreement on Disengagement.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said that Germany would not allow the internal dialogue process in Syria to be undermined by external forces.
Baerbock warned that the premise for advancing the Syrian peace process is that Syria's territorial integrity must not be undermined.
The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on the same day, strongly condemning Israel's organized attacks and destruction of infrastructure and military bases in Syria, as well as the establishment of "illegal bases." It also accused Israel of violating international law.
The Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Affairs issued a statement on Wednesday, condemning Israel's occupation of the Israeli-Syrian military buffer zone in the Golan Heights, calling it another blatant violation of Syria's unity and sovereignty and a violation of the norms of international law and international legitimacy resolutions.
The rebel groups led by HTS waged a major offensive from northern Syria since late November and have since swept southwards through government-held areas, capturing the capital Damascus.
The fall of al-Assad's government brought a surprise end to the nearly 14-year Syrian civil war, adding to uncertainties for both the war-torn nation and the broader Middle East region.
Multiple countries, United Nations condemn Israel for continued military operations in Syria
