Upheaval in Damascus: Government criticizes Israel’s military operations in Syria

The Federal Government has appealed to Israel and other neighboring states of Syria not to violate the country’s sovereignty in the current phase of upheaval. “Israel and other actors repeatedly assert security interests; but it is also clear, and this is very clearly stated in international law, that territorial integrity must not be touched and that developments in Syria must now be turned for the better.” said a spokesman for the Foreign Office in Berlin.

On the one hand, it is about ensuring that weapons from the era of fled President Bashar al-Assad “do not fall into the wrong hands.” On the other side is international law. “We are moving in this area of ​​tension,” said the spokesman. All actors should now exercise restraint. “We communicate our position very clearly to the Israeli government,” he added.

Israel has massively expanded its attacks in the neighboring country since the overthrow of ruler Assad on December 8th. Israel took advantage of the power vacuum after the fall to advance its troops across the ceasefire line in the Golan Heights. The leadership in Jerusalem justifies this by saying that the aim is to prevent armed groups that are hostile to Israel from attacking the Jewish state from the high plateau. The area on this side of the ceasefire line, which extends to the Sea of ​​Galilee, was conquered by Israel in the Six-Day War in 1967 and annexed in 1981.

In recent years, Turkey has asserted its own security interests with regard to Kurdish groups in Syria and supported rebel groups in the neighboring country.

German embassy in Syria is closed

When asked about the German presence in Damascus, the Foreign Office spokesman said: “There will be initial contact there very quickly, in the very immediate future.” For security reasons and other considerations, he cannot yet provide any more details.

Turkey reopened its embassy in the Syrian capital last Saturday.