Damascus: Syria's foreign minister has urged the United Nations, along with Arab and Islamic countries, to take decisive measures against Israel's repeated military actions on Syrian territory, which he described as deliberate assaults on civilians. This call for action follows a recent Israeli strike on the town of Beit Jinn near Damascus, which has drawn condemnation from Syrian officials.
According to Anadolu Agency, the Syrian foreign minister, Asaad al-Shaibani, expressed his outrage on the US social media platform X, labeling the incident a 'treacherous Israeli assault' that 'deliberately targeted innocent civilians.' He cautioned that the continuation of such aggressive actions poses a threat to regional peace and security. Al-Shaibani emphasized the need for a robust international response to prevent further civilian casualties, warning that international silence only serves to embolden the aggressor.
Al-Shaibani's appeal extends to the United Nations, the Security Council, and all Arab and Islamic nations, urging them to 'shoulder their responsibilities' in confronting the ongoing Israeli attacks. The recent strike on Beit Jinn resulted in the death of at least 13 individuals, including women and children, and injured 24 others in the rural areas surrounding Damascus, as reported by official Syrian media.
The Israeli army, in a statement, reported that six of its soldiers were injured in the attack, with three in critical condition. It further claimed to have detained members of 'the Jaama Islamiya,' accusing them of orchestrating attacks against Israeli civilians from the Beit Jinn area in southern Syria. In November alone, the Israeli military conducted 47 raids in southern Syria.
Government records indicate that since December 2024, Israel has launched over 1,000 airstrikes on Syria and executed more than 400 cross-border raids into the southern provinces. Following the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in late 2024, Israel expanded its occupation of the Syrian Golan Heights by seizing the demilitarized buffer zone, a move that contravened a 1974 agreement with Syria.