ISTANBUL, Oct 13 (Bernama-Anadolu) -- The United Nations (UN) on Monday called on Israel to cease violations of the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement and fully respect Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, Anadolu Ajansi reported.
"I reiterate the Secretary-General’s call for an end to the violations of the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement and full respect for Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity," Deputy Special Envoy for Syria Claudio Cordone told the UN Security Council.
Cordone reported that Israeli military operations in southern Syria continued on a daily basis, detailing extensive construction work, checkpoints, searches and detentions, as well as the fatal shooting of a civilian near an Israeli military position on Oct. 5.
He added that 49 people reportedly remained in Israeli custody, while noting a separate incident on Sept. 23 when 14 members of an Israeli settler group crossed the ceasefire line into Syria before being returned by Israeli forces.
Israel has expanded its military presence since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime on Dec 8, 2024, deploying troops into the demilitarised buffer zone in the occupied Golan Heights and surrounding positions, citing security concerns.
Damascus has demanded a full withdrawal from occupied areas and reaffirmed its commitment to the 1974 accord.
"Diplomacy is the only way to reach agreement on security arrangements, consistent with international law," Cordone said.
Addressing broader economic conditions, Cordone said currency depreciation and rising fuel costs had eroded purchasing power for essential goods, even as sanctions relief and international partnerships, including €620 million (US$692 million) in EU support and a US$175 million World Bank agricultural initiative, provided preliminary financial stabilisation.
He said the UN, in coordination with Damascus, was exploring the possibility of convening an international conference on recovery and reconstruction, “grounded in Syria’s priorities.”
"The task now is to translate these opportunities into sustained support for Syria’s recovery," he said.
UN Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mohammed Yahya cautioned that despite the return of more than 3.8 million refugees and internally displaced persons, over 5.5 million Syrians remained displaced, with more than 770,000 living in camps where women and children accounted for three-quarters of the population.
"The goal must not be simply to help families return but to concretely help them stay and rebuild their lives," Yahya said, noting that explosive ordnance had caused 2,500 casualties since December 2024, while the 2026 response plan remained only 32 per cent funded.
Highlighting education, civil society leader George Batah told the council from Damascus that 2.7 million children remained out of school and approximately 8,000 facilities were non-functional, arguing that "investment in education is how rebuilding begins."
Plan International’s Regional Director Hajir Maalim warned that with only 16.5 per cent of the sector's US$337 million funding requirement met, "an entire generation risks being left behind."
Speaking at the meeting, the US said it welcomed the “ongoing progress” Syria was making on “political, humanitarian and security priorities.”
-- BERNAMA-ANADOLU