Syrian Foreign Minister Assaad al-Shibani issued a strong condemnation of Israel during an emergency ministerial session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Jeddah on Monday, accusing the Israeli occupation of repeated violations of international law and national sovereignty.
In his address, Minister Shibani asserted that Israel is breaching the 1974 Agreement on Disengagement of Forces, relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions, and the fundamental principles governing respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“The occupation is establishing intelligence centers and military outposts in prohibited zones, serving its expansionist and divisive agenda,” Shibani declared. “Damascus has never yielded and has remained committed to the just causes of the nation, from Palestine to every struggle in defense of what is right.”
His remarks coincided with a separate formal statement issued by the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Damascus, denouncing a specific Israeli military operation. The statement detailed an incursion involving “a force of eleven military vehicles and nearly two hundred soldiers” who entered the Beit Jin area in the Damascus countryside and seized control of Tal Bata hill in the Marj al-Sheikh Jabal region.
Damascus described the incursion as a “flagrant violation of the sovereignty of the Syrian Arab Republic” and a “direct threat to regional peace and security”. The Foreign Ministry warned that such continued transgressions “undermine stabilization efforts and escalate regional tensions”, urging the United Nations and the Security Council to “fulfil their legal and moral responsibilities” in holding Israel accountable.
Shibani linked the ongoing war in Gaza with violations against Syrian territory, stating: “Gaza is under siege amid the silence of global conscience, and Israel continues its crimes in defiance of international law and the UN Charter.” He emphasized that the “bombing of homes, hospitals, and schools constitutes documented war crimes”, which Syria condemns “morally, humanely, and historically”.
The Minister further accused Israel of seeking to “fragment Syria’s national fabric, reignite sectarian discord, and transform the occupied Syrian Golan into a base for territorial expansion”, reaffirming that “Syria will continue to resist any attempts at partition”.
He called on the United Nations and the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) to fully document and halt Israeli incursions. Additionally, he urged a “unified, sincere, and bold Arab and Islamic stance” to confront the destructive war and lift the siege on Gaza, appealing for OIC support in defending Syria’s position within international forums and rejecting any moves to legitimise the occupation.
Shibani meets counterparts
On the sidelines of the OIC meeting, Minister Shibani held bilateral discussions with his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. The talks focused on coordinated efforts to confront Israel’s ongoing aggression against the Palestinian people.
The emergency session of the OIC was convened to address recent developments in the continuing Israeli offensive in Palestine.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
