Syria has demanded an end to Israeli airstrikes that endanger military and civilian lives, and that the influential international trio of Russia, Iran and Turkey agree.
Newsweek recently reported on the dangers posed to several countries operating in Syria’s overcrowded airspace, where military and civilian aircraft face increasing risks as a result of the country’s civil conflict, which reaches its tenth year of existence next month.
According to Syria’s permanent mission to the United Nations, Israel’s semi-secret campaign of raids on suspicious Iran-linked sites and Syrian air defense positions is a violation of post-war bilateral arrangements between the two neighbors.
“The repeated Israeli attacks on Syrian sovereignty are not just a technical issue related to the security of civilian air traffic in Syrian airspace,” the mission said. Newsweek, “but rather an act of aggression that violates the 1974 ceasefire agreement, which threatens the safety and security of civilians and civil aviation.”
The mission also saw Israel’s air strategy violate international law.
“These attacks also constitute a flagrant violation of the Chicago conventions that guarantee the safety of civil aviation in the world, and a described hostile act condemned by the provisions of international law and the principles of the United Nations Charter. , “the mission said Newsweek. “Furthermore, such aggression shows contempt for Security Council resolutions relating to the situation in Syria, all of which reaffirm respect for Syria’s sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity.”
These four principles were emphasized on Friday during the latest tripartite meeting of Russia, Iran and Turkey. The three countries represent the sponsors of a platform for resolving Syria’s conflict called the Astana process, named after the Kazakh capital, which has since been renamed Nur-Sultan.
In a joint statement, Moscow, Tehran and Ankara condemned continued Israeli military attacks in Syria in violation of international law and international humanitarian law and undermined the sovereignty of Syria and neighboring countries as well as the stability and security in the region. and called for termination of them. ‘
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A local source on Monday struck an air defense unit attached to Syria’s 4th armored division west of Damascus. Newsweek.
This report is backed by the pro-opposition British Syrian Observatory for Human Rights activist network in the UK, which further claims that the Iranian rocket depots were hit and killed up to 16 soldiers of non-Syrian nationality in two places near the capital has.
The Syrian mission said such attacks posed an unnecessary risk to civilians.
“The recent hostile and terrorist acts by Israel have not been the first of their kind,” the Syrian mission said. “On several previous occasions, the Israeli air force has used civilian aircraft as cover to attack Syrian areas and used civilian passengers as human shields, disrespecting their feelings or lives.”
The attacks coincided with an Israeli air exercise called “Galilee Rose” that simulated war across the country’s hostile northern borders with Syria and Lebanon, after which a Hezbollah spokesman told the Lebanese Shiite Muslim-Hezbollah movement. Newsweek Last month, his fighters remained prepared for any aggression.
“Of course, any attack will not be tolerated and Hezbollah is constantly prepared to respond to any attack on Lebanon,” the Hezbollah official said at the time.
Israel has accused Iran of sending staff and, along with other groups such as Hezbollah, recruited other organizations as far as Afghanistan and Pakistan to set up operational bases and transfer advanced ammunition to Syria.
“[The Syrian army] give [Hezbollah] a lot of space to do what they want, and that makes life a little uncomfortable, ” said an Israeli security official dealing with Syria. Newsweek last month. “It’s a big problem for us to actually decide who to strike and what to do.”
Such forces are working in Syria in support of President Bashar al-Assad, who has been embroiled in a rebel and jihadi rebellion since 2011. The United States has teamed up with local partners to accuse Assad of human rights violations and sponsored efforts to oust the longtime leader before drawing his attention to fighting the militant group Islamic State (ISIS).
The US-backed, mostly Kurdish-Syrian Democratic Forces occupy nearly a third of the country’s territory across the northeast, while Turkey remains the last major opposition sponsor and backs insurgent elements opposed to the Pentagon-backed faction across the northern border.
However, the majority of the country, in both areas and in the population, remains under the control of the central government, thanks to years of counter-offensive support by Russia and Iran. While Moscow and Tehran joined the Astana process at Ankara, Washington and its shifting goals in the conflict largely remained on the diplomatic sidelines.
But on the ground, an estimated 900 U.S. troops remain across the northeast, where they were instructed by former President Donald Trump to retain control of oil and gas sites following the defeat of ISIS ‘physical, self-imposed caliphate – a campaign which are also followed separately. by the government axis.
Israeli army
Russia, Iran and Turkey’s joint statement on Friday also addressed US operations here, saying the three nations “reject all attempts to create new realities on the ground, including illegal self-government initiatives, under the pretext of fighting terrorism, and address their determination to stand up against separatist agendas in eastern Euphrates, which are aimed at undermining the unity of Syria as well as threatening the national security of neighboring countries. ‘
In addition, they “in this regard” expressed concern about the growing hostility towards civilians, and “reaffirmed their opposition to the illegal seizure and transfer of oil revenues belonging to the Syrian Arab Republic.”
Russia and its allies are also operating in this northeastern region. As a result, the US maintains a line of prohibition with Russia to avoid incidents in this part of the country.
But the US rarely discusses Israeli operations in the country. A Pentagon spokesman said Newsweek last week they would ‘refuse to comment on airspace over western Syria’.
Despite its side of the Syrian conflict, Israel maintains a prohibition line with Russia.
“We do have an analysis mechanism with the Russian military that facilitates our freedom of action, while minimizing the risk of friction with Russian troops, and promoting mutual security,” an Israeli military official said. Newsweek last week. “So far, it has been very effective and has withstood challenging conditions in a very dense combat space.”