UK envoy denounces Israeli violations of Syria’s sovereignty

ISTANBUL (AA) – The United Kingdom on Friday criticized Israel’s ongoing incursions into Syria, describing reports of civilian casualties earlier in the day as “unacceptable.”

“We urge Israel to respect Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to fulfill its obligations toward peace, stability and security,” Ann Snow, the U.K.’s special representative for Syria, said on the social media platform X.

State media reported that at least 13 people were killed, including women and children, and 24 others wounded early Friday in Israel’s attack on Beit Jinn and the surrounding roads in rural areas near Damascus.

The Israeli army said in a statement that six Israeli soldiers were injured, three of them in critical condition, during the operation. It also claimed to have detained members of “the Jaama Islamiya,” accusing them of operating in Beit Jinn and planning attacks against Israeli civilians.

According to Anadolu Agency’s tally, the Israeli army conducted 48 raids in southern Syria in November alone.

Government data indicates that since December 2024, Israel has carried out over 1,000 airstrikes on Syrian territory and more than 400 cross-border raids into the southern provinces.

Following the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in late 2024, Israel reportedly expanded its control over the Syrian Golan Heights, seizing the demilitarized buffer zone — a move that violated the 1974 agreement with Syria.