The United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre LaCroix on Friday called for an end to Israeli military presence in a buffer zone between Syria and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, which should only host UN peacekeeping forces under a 1974 agreement.
The statement came after Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced on Tuesday that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is prepared to stay in Syria for "an unlimited amount of time" to make sure "all the security zone in southern Syria is demilitarized."
Speaking in an exclusive interview with China Central Television (CCTV) at the UN headquarters in New York, LaCroix stressed that the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement between Israel and Syria must be upheld.
"I think that it is important first of all to make sure that this Disengagement of Forces Agreement for 1974 between Israel and the Syrian Arab Republic continues to be respected, because ultimately what we want and also our mandate as UN is to preserve peace and stability in the region," he said.
In late 2024, Israel's government has approved a plan to encourage the expansion of settlements in the Golan Heights, a Syrian territory currently occupied by Israel.
Israel captured part of the Golan Heights during the 1967 war and annexed it, despite international condemnation. Following the downfall of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government on Dec. 8, 2024, Israel seized the UN-monitored buffer zone, a demilitarized area established in 1974 under the ceasefire agreement between the two countries.
When asked whether the IDF’s presence in the buffer zone was affecting UN peacekeeping operations, Lacroix acknowledged that Israel has had described the situation as temporary. However, he reiterated the UN's position that the area should be restored to its original status in full compliance with the 1974 agreement and the Security Council resolution.
"The presence of the IDF in the so-called area of separation, which Israel has said is temporary, these were the indications we had from our Israeli counterparts on a number of occasions. Obviously we would hope that at some point, this presence will be reversed and terminated because as per the agreement, and as per Security Council resolution, this area of separation is an area where the only military presence has to be UNDOF (The United Nations Disengagement Observer Force) military presence. So obviously our goal would be to see a reversal to that situation, which would be fully consistent with resolution of the Security Council," said the UN peacekeeping chief.
LaCroix also praised China for its significant contributions to UN peacekeeping missions and paid tribute to dedicated Chinese peacekeepers, especially those stationed in Lebanon who faced the threat of deliberate attacks.
"First of all, China is a very important troop-contributing country. Today we have more than 1,800 Chinese peacekeepers in eight missions. And I want to pay special tribute to them because lately they have been undergoing very difficult situations, particularly in Lebanon, where UNIFIL (UN Interim Force in Lebanon) was really under fire for a number of weeks. And the Chinese peacekeepers, together with their comrades, they stood firm and I think it was a testimony of their commitment and resilience. So it's a very highly appreciated contribution," said LaCroix.
UN peacekeeping chief opposes Israeli military presence in Syria buffer zone
UN peacekeeping chief opposes Israeli military presence in Syria buffer zone
UN peacekeeping chief opposes Israeli military presence in Syria buffer zone
