UN envoy urges Israel to halt attacks on Syria amid political transition

The United Nations issued a warning, urging Israel to cease its attacks on Syria following Israel’s military actions against targets and territorial incursions in the country after President Bashar al-Assad’s regime was overthrown.

Geir Pedersen, the UN's envoy to Syria, stressed that continued Israeli strikes and incursions could jeopardize the possibility of a peaceful transition in Syria, which has been struggling with instability after Assad's removal, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

“We need to see a stop to the Israeli attacks,” Pedersen said. “It’s extremely important that we don’t see any action from any international actor that destroys the possibility for this transformation in Syria to take place.”

Israel has reportedly struck hundreds of military targets connected to Assad’s regime in recent days, marking what local media are calling its most extensive air campaign in Syria. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have not commented on the specifics of the targets but have referred to them as "strategic sites."

In addition to the airstrikes, Israeli ground forces crossed the border from the occupied Golan Heights into a demilitarized buffer zone inside Syria over the weekend, seizing abandoned Syrian army positions. IDF spokesperson Avichay Adraee denied reports that Israeli forces had advanced toward Damascus, saying their presence inside the buffer zone was to "protect the Israeli border."

For over a decade, Israel has conducted airstrikes in Syria targeting sites affiliated with Iran, which, along with its allied militant groups like Hezbollah, has supported the Assad regime during the Syrian civil war. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated on December 9 that “control on the Golan Heights ensures our security; it ensures our sovereignty.” He also stated, "The Golan Heights will be an inseparable part of the state of Israel forever."

Israel’s foreign and defence ministers confirmed that airstrikes had targeted remnants of Syria’s chemical weapons stockpiles, and a source familiar with the situation said the strikes also targeted the Syrian air force, including grounded planes and helicopters.

This military action coincided with the rise of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the rebel faction that ousted Assad. HTS is now working to consolidate control of Syria amid fears that the regime change could further destabilize the region. Mohamed al-Bashir, head of the Syrian Salvation Government, HTS's civilian administration in the northwestern province of Idlib, announced that he would lead a temporary caretaker government for all of Syria, which may last until March 1 next year.

The toppling of Assad, who ruled Syria for 50 years, followed a swift offensive by HTS that captured large swaths of the country in just two weeks. As HTS took control of Damascus on Sunday, Assad fled to Russia, a key supporter during the Syrian civil war.

HTS leader Abu Mohammad al-Jolani issued a statement on social media pledging to hold accountable “the criminals, murderers, and army and security officers involved in torture of the Syrian people.” He added, “We will pursue war criminals and demand them from the countries to which they have fled.”

HTS has granted a general amnesty to conscripted members of the Assad military and ordered the resumption of public services, including in the economically vital oil sector. Opposition groups have also established settlement centers for former regime members to present themselves.

As the situation evolves, the Assad regime’s notorious prisons have been opened, releasing political prisoners and uncovering evidence of torture. On December 10, life in Damascus began to slowly return to normal, with some shops and restaurants reopening, and government employees resuming work. Police from the Syrian Salvation Government were seen directing traffic, and rebel fighters guarded government ministries that had been ransacked during the offensive.

By Vafa Guliyeva