ALBAWABA - The UN announced on Monday that its peacekeeping soldiers will remain in the buffer zone of the occupied Golan Heights, calling Israel's recent military activities a violation of the 1974 disengagement agreement with Syria.
Syria: Armed groups advance in Northern homs as military reinforcements arrive in homs cityUN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) detected Israeli breaches into the buffer zone, which violates the peace agreement. Dujarric said Israeli troops were in three buffer zone sites, where military presence is prohibited. "Israel and Syria must adhere to the 1974 agreement to ensure stability in the region," stated.
UN peacekeepers stay put despite Israeli control of the buffer zone. UN peacekeeper spokesperson Nick Birnbach said these personnel would stay until the Security Council orders a pullout. The US urged Israel's buffer zone efforts to be "temporary."
Israel acknowledged its entry into the Syrian side of the Golan Heights, claiming security concerns after Syrian opposition forces took power and President Bashar al-Assad fled. Israeli forces have taken critical positions around Mount Hermon and the demilitarized strip east of the ceasefire line, establishing military rule.
Netanyahu said, "We will not allow hostile forces to establish themselves along our borders." He confirmed military orders to secure the buffer zone and other vital places.
Israel held parts of the Golan Heights during 1967. UNDOF managed a demilitarized buffer zone under the 1974 disengagement agreement. Only the US accepted Israel's 1981 Golan Heights annexation.
