Rosalind Evans
Israeli military units fired on two structures within a zone that they identified as demilitarized in Syria, alleging these buildings breached a cease-fire deal in place since 1974, according to a statement from the Israeli army.
The army contends that these structures were being utilized by Syrian military forces, constituting a “clear violation” of the 1974 armistice agreement. No details were provided regarding the nature or construction date of the targeted buildings.
Syrian state-affiliated Sham FM radio reported that the Israeli actions took place near the Golan Heights, in the village of Hadar, and resulted in no casualties.
The 1974 accord set up a buffer zone between Israeli and Syrian troops, monitored by a U.N. peacekeeping force, to ensure stability. This agreement is widely recognized for bringing an official end to the 1973 Mideast conflict, a war initiated by an Arab coalition spearheaded by Egypt and Syria against Israel on Yom Kippur, Judaism’s holiest day. This month marks the 50th anniversary of that war.
Despite being long-standing adversaries, Israel and Syria have largely adhered to the cease-fire for nearly five decades. Nonetheless, the Israeli military frequently targets what it claims are Iran-affiliated sites within Syria.
Separately, Syrian media outlets reported that Israeli drones targeted two individuals on a motorcycle in Damascus on the same day.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an anti-government monitoring group, reported that an Israeli airstrike resulted in the deaths of two members of Islamic Jihad, an Iran-supported Palestinian militant organization, near the southern Syrian village of Beit Jin.
However, Islamic Jihad spokesperson Ismail Abu-Mujahed refuted claims that any of their members were killed in the southern part of Syria.
The Israeli military refrained from commenting on these additional reports.
The ongoing tensions between Israel and Syria, underscored by these recent incidents, continue to bring the 1974 cease-fire agreement into focus. As both countries mark 50 years since the 1973 Mideast war, the stability of the cease-fire agreement and the broader regional dynamics remain subjects of concern. Neither Israeli nor Syrian officials have indicated steps toward diplomatic resolution, and these skirmishes add to the increasingly complex geopolitical landscape in the Middle East.
