Ankara: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated on Sunday that Israeli violations of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement with Syria are "unacceptable and must stop," emphasizing the need for full respect of Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity. "Syria's sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity must be fully respected," Guterres expressed via the US social media platform X.

According to Anadolu Agency, these remarks were made during Guterres' visit to Damascus, marking the first visit by a UN secretary-general since Ban Ki-moon's visit in 2009. The visit comes as Syria is undergoing a political transition following the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in December 2024. Guterres' itinerary includes a visit to the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), which has been stationed in the buffer zone in the occupied Golan Heights since its establishment under UN Security Council Resolution 350 in 1974. The mission's purpose is to monitor the ceasefire between Syria and Israel.

The visit occurs amidst heightened tensions in southern Syria after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared the 1974 disengagement agreement had collapsed following Assad's fall on December 8, 2024. Israeli forces have since deployed into the buffer zone in Syria, leading the UN to repeatedly call for Israel to comply with the agreement and respect Syria's sovereignty.