Israeli 'construction activities' in occupied Golan Heights, UN official says

Special envoy says Israel has in the past month conducted the most rapid and wide-reaching air strike campaign in Syria in 13 years

An Israeli soldier near signs pointing to different cities, on Mount Bental, in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Photo: UPI

Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza

Israel has conducted “construction activities” in the occupied Golan Heights, UN special envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen said on Wednesday.

Mr Pedersen told the 15-member Security Council that the UN Disengagement Observer Force (Undof) had seen an “Israeli battle tank and excavators cross the ceasefire line into the area of separation” in the demilitarised zone on the Israel-Syria border.

There have also been reports of the Israeli military carrying out at least one drone strike in the area, he added.

A 1974 disengagement agreement strictly prohibits military presence or operations by Israel and Syria in the Golan Heights – a hilly, 1,200-square-kilometre plateau overlooking Lebanon and bordering Jordan.

Mr Pedersen said that Israel has in the past month conducted the most rapid and wide-reaching air strike campaign in Syria in 13 years.

“Dozens of locations across Syria have been hit, including residential areas, even in the heart of Damascus," he said. "In total, the Syrian government says that Israel has hit Syrian territory more than 116 times since October 7, 2023, which they say have resulted in the deaths of more than 100 people."

He also reported a rocket attack from Syrian territory into the Golan Heights in late September. The Israeli military claims to have intercepted drones launched from Syria towards Israel. On Saturday, a drone that entered Israeli airspace from Syria was intercepted.

Mr Pederson emphasised the critical role of Undof in maintaining stability and urged Israel and Syria to adhere to the disengagement agreement. He said breaches of the agreement could increase tension and risk further escalation in the region.

Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, occupying the area and annexing it in 1981. The annexation remains unrecognised by the international community, and Syria continues to demand the return of the territory.