DAMASCUS, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- Syria on Tuesday condemned Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz's entry into southern Syrian territory during a visit to Israeli troops stationed there, describing it as a "blatant violation" of Syrian sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The Syrian foreign authorities said in a statement that Katz had illegally crossed international borders into Syrian territory, calling the move a provocation and a violation of international law, the UN Charter and the 1974 Disengagement Agreement.
The Syrian authorities called on the international community to take measures to compel Israel to halt what Damascus described as repeated violations, immediately and fully withdraw from Syrian territory, and return to the disengagement line established under the 1974 agreement.
Katz, during his visit, said Israel intended to maintain its military presence in southern Syria as long as it perceived threats to its security.
"We will not move from Mount Hermon and the security zone as long as there are jihadist threats to the State of Israel," Katz said.
He also referred to Israel's Aug. 18 strikes on the Abu al-Duhur military airport in northwestern Syria, saying Israel had acted against what he described as a Turkish attempt to establish a military foothold in Syria that could threaten Israeli security interests.
Yet Damascus condemned that attack as a dangerous escalation and violation of Syrian sovereignty.
Israeli forces moved into the UN-patrolled buffer zone separating Syrian and Israeli forces following the fall of the former Syrian government in December 2024. Israel has since maintained troops there and carried out repeated incursions and strikes inside Syria.
Damascus has repeatedly demanded that Israeli forces withdraw to positions held before Dec. 8, 2024, and called for the full implementation of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement.
The latest confrontation comes despite renewed diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions between the two sides.
Senior Syrian and Israeli delegations held U.S.-mediated talks in Jordan on Sunday, focusing on practical mechanisms to halt Israeli attacks and arrests and revive negotiations toward a security agreement, according to a Syrian diplomatic source. ■
