Damascus decries Israeli defence chief’s visit to occupied buffer zone

The Syrian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday condemned the illegal entry of Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz into Syrian territory, calling it a “clear provocation”, Anadolu agency reported.

The ministry’s assertion came in a statement issued after Katz visited a buffer zone in Syrian territory that Israeli forces occupied last year.

Katz’s visit comes two days after a meeting in Jordan — ostensibly aimed at reducing tensions — between Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani and Israeli intelligence chief Roman Gofman.

In its statement, the ministry condemned the “illegal entry of the Israeli defense minister … in flagrant violation of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.” The move, it added, constitutes a “clear provocation, a violation of international law and the UN […]