UN documents Israeli violations in Syria, calls for accountability

GENEVA

The United Nations is closely monitoring the situation in Syria, particularly the escalation of violence, and continues to document serious violations, including those related to Israeli actions, a UN official said.

Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, addressed these concerns during the UN Geneva Office’s weekly press briefing on Friday.

“We are following very closely the situation in Syria, including an escalation of violence. We have been continuing to document serious violations, including with regard to Israeli conduct in Syria, as well as ethnic tensions in different parts of Syria,” Shamdasani said.

Shamdasani emphasized: “We are also continuing to push for accountability for the violations that have been committed.”

The situation in southern Syria has been particularly tense, especially since Israeli forces expanded their occupation beyond the Golan Heights buffer zone on Dec. 8, 2024.

This region has been under Israeli control since 1967, and the new extension reached within 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) of Damascus, Syria’s capital.

The 1974 Separation of Forces Agreement established the buffer and demilitarized zones between Israel and Syria, but Israeli actions in the area have violated the terms of this agreement.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently stated that the Israeli occupation in southern Syria would be permanent and demanded the disarmament of the region, violating Syria’s sovereignty.

Israeli forces also intervened in clashes that erupted on July 13, 2025, in Sweida, a province in southern Syria. Israeli military actions included attacks on the Syrian army close to the Presidential Palace in Damascus and the General Staff headquarters.