The UN General Assembly adopted on 3 December a resolution demanding Israel’s withdrawal from Syria’s illegally occupied Golan Heights, which the Israeli army captured during the 1967 war.
The resolution demanded “once more” that Israel withdraw from the occupied Golan Heights “to the line of 4 June 1967″ while stressing the illegality of settlement building and other activities in the territory.
“The continued occupation of the Syrian Golan and its de facto annexation constitute a stumbling block in the way of achieving a just, comprehensive, and lasting peace in the region,” it added. Any decision imposing laws or jurisdiction in the region is “null and void and has no validity whatsoever.”
The vote passed with 97 in favor, eight against, and 64 abstentions…
In 2019, US President-elect Donald Trump, during his first term, recognized Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights in a highly controversial move.
The vote followed a heated exchange between Russia and the US about Syria during a UN Security Council meeting earlier on Tuesday.
The session revolved around the ongoing assault launched on 27 November by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), formerly known as Al-Qaeda’s Nusra Front, and the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) force, against Idlib, Aleppo, and Hama.
Syria’s military is fighting under the cover of Russian and Syrian airstrikes to recapture territory taken by the extremist armed groups.
“This fight must continue against Security Council-listed terrorist groups,” stated Russian representative Vassily Nebenzia.
“The fact that HTS is listed as a terrorist organization by the US and UN does not justify the further atrocities by the Assad regime and its Russian backers,” responded Deputy US Ambassador to the UN Robert Wood.
The cradle News Desk DEC 4, 2024
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