Sabbagh: Israel’s repeated attacks on Syrian territories violate UN Charter

New York , (ST) – Syria’s permanent representative to the UN, Bassam Sabbagh, affirmed that, “state” terrorism and the continuous Israeli attacks on the Syrian territories are  flagrant violations of the Charter of the United Nations, the provisions of international law and Security Council resolutions that emphasize on respecting Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

In a statement during today’s session on the situation in the Middle East, Sabbagh said that Israel’s repeated attacks on the Syrian territories, the most recent of which was last Thursday, come within the policies of the occupation entity based on practicing “state” terrorism and providing continuous support to terrorist groups in Syria.

He added that, Syria had informed the Security Council and the Secretary-General of the United Nations of the details of these attacks and the serious threat they posed to the security and stability of the region.

Sabbagh pointed out that, The Israeli occupation authorities continue their attempts to perpetuate their occupation of the Syrian Golan, in an unprecedented defiance of the international will and the relevant United Nations and Security Council resolutions, especially Resolutions No.242, 338 and 497, by escalating settlements on the ruins of Syrian villages and lands that were destroyed by the Israeli occupation and its appropriation of the lands of the people of the Golan.

Sabbagh pointed out that the Israeli occupation authorities continue to practice racial discrimination against the people of the occupied Syrian Golan, arbitrary detention, torture, displacement, kidnapping, demographic change, and attempt to impose citizenship and Israeli educational curricula.

The Israeli occupation authorities’ theft of the natural resources of the Golan through continuous excavation of underground resources, the looting of Syrian archaeological heritage, forgery of historical and archaeological sites and monuments and an attempt to Judaize them with the aim of obliterating its Syrian Arab identity, Sabbagh added.

The permanent representative of Syria to the UN indicated that, the Israeli occupation authorities have prevented since 1967 all fact-finding missions established by the United Nations, including those established under the resolutions of the World Health Assembly, from reaching the occupied Syrian Golan to investigate in the situation there and make recommendations in this regard.

“The Israeli occupation authorities also prevent the World Health Organization from unconditional access to the people of the occupied Golan to assess their conditions and meet their humanitarian needs, especially during the spread of the Corona epidemic, in disregard of its obligations as an occupying power”, he added.

Sabbagh pointed out that, since August 27, 2014, the Israeli occupation authorities have continued to close the Quneitra crossing, which is the only legal crossing for the people of the occupied Syrian Golan to communicate with their homeland, Syria. “They continue to plant and renew minefields and develop their quality, which leads to the death and injury of many Golan residents, most of whom are children.”

Sabbagh reiterated Syria’s call on the international community to pressure “Israel”, as the occupying power, to immediately open and operate the Quneitra crossing, which represents the artery that connects our people in the occupied Syrian Golan to their homeland.

Sabbagh stressed Syria’s condemnation of the recent US statements regarding the occupied Syrian Golan, which confirm that, the US policy towards it comes to serve the Israeli aggressive and expansionist policies in the region. He stressed that, these statements have no legal effect.

Sabbagh added that the Israeli occupation authorities continue to escalate their systematic attacks and violations against the Palestinian people, including the barbaric bombing of the Gaza Strip and the suffocating siege imposed on it, in addition to the settlers’ escalation of their attacks on the Palestinians under the protection of the Israeli occupation forces.

Syria affirms that, The Israeli practices in the city of Al-Quds (Jerusalem) are a serious violation of the rights of the Palestinian people and the historical and legal status of Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Sabbagh stressed that Syria’s commitment to the cause of the Palestinian people is inseparable from its commitment to our people in the occupied Golan. Syria supports Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and the establishment of its independent state on its entire national soil, with Al-Quds (Jerusalem) as its capital.

Raghda Sawas