Syria Condemns Israeli Excavation Near Golan as Violation of International Law

Syria on Sunday condemned Israeli excavation work near the separation line with the occupied Syrian Golan, calling it an "aggressive approach and a flagrant violation" of the 1974 disengagement agreement. The Syrian Foreign Ministry issued a statement denouncing the Israeli actions, which it said were taking place along "Sufa 53" line in the southern part of the country. The ministry stated that the ongoing Israeli violations in the buffer zone, covered by the disengagement agreement, represent a "blatant breach" of the 1974 accord and a "flagrant violation of international legitimacy decisions." Syria asserted that the "aggressive approach" by Israel, including field incursions, directly threatens regional security and stability and undermines international law. The ministry called on the international community to take deterrent measures to stop these practices and prevent their recurrence, emphasizing Syria's right to full sovereignty over its territory. According to Syrian state media, the project involves digging and constructing a military road along the separation line within the buffer zone. Israel began the "Sufa 53" or "Great Storm" project in mid-2022, expanding it southward through several villages in the Quneitra Governorate towards the Syrian-Jordanian-Israeli tri-border area. The Israeli military has reportedly built an 8-meter-wide military road, reinforced with 5-meter-high earthen barriers, and established observation posts and military sites along the line. Syrian data indicates Israeli forces have advanced between 300 and 1,000 meters inside the ceasefire line, with military activity accelerating in late 2024, particularly after the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime. The expansion has rendered thousands of dunams of agricultural land in Quneitra unusable and negatively impacted water flow and the region's natural structure, according to previous local testimonies.