France called on Israel to withdraw from the buffer zone along the border with Syria to "show respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity" of Syria, France Press reported, quoting a statement from the French Foreign Ministry, BTA reports.
According to Paris, any military deployment in this area is a violation of the 1974 ceasefire agreement. between Israel and Syria.
„Any military deployment in the buffer zone between Israel and Syria is a violation of the 1974 ceasefire agreement, which must be respected by the signatories – Israel and Syria”, the statement said. It was done after Israeli forces invaded the area located at the edge of the Golan Heights, which Israel occupies and annexes.
The zone was established after the 1973 war. and the United Nations Cessation of Hostilities Observer Force (UNDOF) has been stationed there ever since.
The French ministry confirmed that the security of the UNDOF forces must be preserved in order not to disrupt stability in the region.
Israel has carried out hundreds of attacks on military targets in Syria since the ouster of the Bashar al-Assad regime, with the aim of preventing weapons from falling into the hands of terrorists. Yesterday Israel's Defense Minister, Israel Katz, ordered the creation of a "zone free of weapons and terrorist threats" in southern Syria, without a permanent Israeli presence.
According to a UN official in New York, Israeli forces have already captured seven posts in the buffer zone, raising further concerns about the safety of observers and stability in the region.