Israel / Syria
Monitored Tension: Israel & Syria
The situation between Israel and the Syrian Arab Republic continues to warrant close international legal scrutiny, particularly in light of persistent tensions and repeated breaches of international law. While hostilities have historically centered on the occupied Golan Heights, recent developments reveal a broader erosion of Syrian sovereignty and sustained instability with regional implications.
Israel’s continued occupation of the Golan Heights, a territory of the Syrian Arab Republic seized in 1967, remains a clear violation of international law. The annexation of the territory in 1981 was deemed “null and void and without international legal effect” by United Nations Security Council Resolution 497. Furthermore, the transfer of Israeli civilian populations into the occupied territory contravenes Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits the transfer of an occupying power’s civilian population into occupied territory.
In parallel, Israel has conducted numerous military operations within Syrian territory, often targeting sites allegedly linked to non-state actors. Notwithstanding these security justifications, such operations — including reported strikes on civilian infrastructure — raise significant legal concerns under international humanitarian law, particularly in relation to the principles of distinction, proportionality, and military necessity. These actions have further strained Syria’s ability to exercise sovereign control over its territory and have exacerbated humanitarian conditions on the ground.
The World Embassy Desk (WED) underscores that both the prolonged occupation of Syrian territory and cross-border military actions represent serious challenges to the international legal order. The normalization of such practices risks setting destabilizing precedents and undermines core principles, including sovereignty, non-intervention, and the prohibition of the use of force. In view of the potential for further regional escalation, the WED stresses the urgent need for compliance with international law and international humanitarian rights law by all parties.
April 2025, Israeli Military’s Passover Tours in Occupied Syrian
In April 2025, the Israeli military initiated a program offering guided hiking tours for Israeli civilians into newly occupied areas of Syrian territory during the Passover holiday. These tours, organized by the Israel Defense Forces’ (IDF) 210th Division in collaboration with regional councils and environmental organizations, were designed to showcase regions recently seized by Israel following the collapse of the Syrian government in December 2024.
The excursions ventured up to 2.5 kilometers into the former demilitarized buffer zone, internationally recognized as Syrian territory. Participants, transported in bulletproof buses under military escort, visited sites including Mount Hermon, the Ruqqad River valley, and remnants of the Ottoman Hejaz railway.
The recent initiative by the Israeli military to organize civilian hiking tours in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, including areas within the formerly demilitarized buffer zone, raises deep concerns. Such actions not only undermine the sovereignty of the Syrian Arab Republic but also risk further entrenching the occupation and escalating tensions in an already volatile region. These tours, presented under the guise of tourism and commemoration, represent an alarming normalization of the occupation and may serve to obscure the illegality of territorial acquisition by force.
The WED condemns the organization of civilian hiking tours into the newly occupied Golan Heights, as this initiative exacerbates the ongoing violations of international law and disregards Syrian sovereignty. The Israeli military’s actions —framing the excursions as cultural or tourism events— cannot obscure the fact that these activities are being conducted in territory that remains under Syrian control according to international recognition. Such moves not only threaten regional stability but also represent a clear violation of the legal obligations established under the Fourth Geneva Convention and United Nations Security Council Resolution 497 (1981), which declared Israel’s annexation of the Golan Heights to illegal.
April 2025, Israel’s Announcement on Permanent Military Presence in Security Zones
In April 2025, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) would remain indefinitely in newly established “security zones” on the Syrian side of Mount Hermon, marking a reversal from previous statements indicating that the IDF’s presence would be temporary. Minister Katz highlighted that the IDF’s continued presence in the region, particularly in the buffer zone in southern Syria, was essential for ensuring the security of Israeli communities in the Golan Heights and northern regions. He further emphasized that Israel would not permit hostile forces to establish themselves in the security zone and would take action against any perceived threats, asserting that Israel would not be reliant on external sources for its security.
The WED expresses concern regarding the legal implications of this extended military presence, particularly in relation to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria, in line with Article 2(4) of the UN Charter. Additionally, the establishment of these “security zones” raises questions regarding compliance with the Fourth Geneva Convention and the potential alteration of the political and economic structures of the occupied territories. Such actions may also undermine the objectives of UN Security Council Resolutions, including Resolution 242, which calls for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from territories occupied during the 1967 conflict, and could further complicate peace efforts in the region.
March – April 2025, Israeli Airstrikes on Syrian Military Bases
On April 16, 2025, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that it had carried out a series of airstrikes targeting military facilities in Syria, specifically focusing on the Hama and T4 bases, as well as military installations in Damascus. This marks the eighth Israeli airstrike on the Hama Military Airport in recent days, with continued targeting reported within the last hour. The airstrikes have led to significant damage to military infrastructure, and ambulances were seen arriving at the site to evacuate the wounded.
According to an Israeli official speaking to the Jerusalem Post, the strikes were intended to send a message to Turkey, warning it against establishing military bases within Syria and interfering with Israeli military operations in Syrian airspace.
These Israeli airstrikes in Syrian territory raise serious concerns regarding the violation of Syria’s sovereignty under international law. The repeated targeting of military bases on Syrian soil constitutes an infringement of Syria’s territorial integrity. The reported airstrikes, particularly in light of statements indicating political motivations beyond immediate self-defense, risk contravening Article 2(4) of the United Nations Charter, which prohibits the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any State. Such actions, if not justified under the inherent right of self-defense as outlined in Article 51, may constitute a breach of international law.
The WED calls for an immediate cessation of these strikes and urges Israel to adhere to its obligations under international law, particularly regarding the protection of civilian lives and infrastructure.
March 2025, Israeli Incursion into Al-Adnaniyah, Quneitra Governorate
On March 19, 2025, an Israeli military force consisting of approximately 50 vehicles advanced into the village of Al-Adnaniyah in the Quneitra Governorate, southern Syria, marking the largest military incursion in the region since the beginning of Israeli operations in southern Syria. This move has been described as the most significant Israeli incursion to date, with the capture of the village representing a critical development in the ongoing conflict. This operation, which marks a significant escalation of Israel’s military activities in the region, follows a series of incursions into neighboring areas earlier in March. According to official statements, the objective of the incursion is the establishment of a security zone along Israel’s northern border and the disruption of armed groups operating in southern Syria.
The capture of Al-Adnaniyah raises serious legal concerns under international law. The United Nations Charter prohibits the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, except in cases of self-defense or when authorized by the Security Council. Given that the Syrian government has not consented to Israeli military operations on its soil, these actions may constitute a violation of Syria’s sovereignty.
The WED calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities and urges all parties to respect Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The UN also emphasizes the importance of adhering to international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians and the prohibition of arbitrary displacement. Dialogue and diplomatic efforts should be prioritized to de-escalate tensions and seek a peaceful resolution to the conflict.