UN special envoy to Syria tells Israel it must stop airstrikes and ground invasion of Syria
The UN’s special envoy to Syria, Geir Pedersen, has cautioned Israel that its airstrikes and ground invasion into Syrian territory need to stop, and said its actions are in violation of the 1974 agreement between Israel and Syria.
Speaking at a media briefing in Geneva, the Norwegian said:
I am not in contact with the Israelis. But of course, the United Nations in New York, they are. And you know, the peacekeepers on the Golan Heights are, of course, in daily contact with with Israelis. And the message from New York is the same. What we are seeing is a violation of the disengagement agreement from 1974, so we will obviously, with our colleagues in New York, follow this extremely closely in the hours and days ahead.
Israel has claimed it is taking “limited and temporary measures” to ensure its security. Troops have entered Syria from the area of the Golan Heights, which Israel seized from Syria in 1967 and unilaterally annexed in 1981.
On Tuesday Israel denied reports that its troops had come within 25km of Damascus. Lt Col Nadav Shoshani, an Israeli military spokesperson, said “the reports circulating in the media about the alleged advancement of Israeli tanks towards Damascus are false.”
He claimed Israeli troops are stationed within a buffer zone between the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights and Syria. Israel’s military had previously said troops would enter the buffer zone “and several other places necessary for its defence.”
Overnight Israel carried out a series of airstrikes on the Syrian capital. Associated Press reports that the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Israel has carried out more than 300 airstrikes across the country since Bashar al-Assad was overthrown.
Israeli media has reported that the IDF is “systematically destroying” what is left of Assad’s military.
Associated Press reports that in a statement on Tuesday Saudi Arabia condemned Israel’s actions, saying:
The assaults carried out by the Israeli occupation government, including the seizure of the buffer zone in the Golan Heights, and the targeting of Syrian territory confirm Israel’s continued violation of the principles of international law and its determination to sabotage Syria’s chances of restoring its security, stability and territorial integrity.
Key events
Netanyahu says in court the charges against him are ‘an ocean of absurdness’
In his court appearance this morning, Israel’s prime minister has described the charges against him as “an ocean of absurdness”.
Speaking in Tel Aviv, Benjamin Netanyahu said “I have waited eight years for this moment, to say the truth as I remember it, which is important for justice. But I am also a prime minister. I am leading the country through a seven-front war. And I think the two can be done in parallel.”
Netanyahu has been given dispensation by the court to take urgent breaks and receive notes during proceedings, as he is the sitting prime minister and running a war.
He claimed he did not care about favourable media coverage of him, arguing “the reality is the exact opposite. I am not focused on my future, but on the future of the state of Israel.
Netanyahu claimed his family had faced “attacks, slander and lies on a scale that few public figures have likely experienced … it is doubtful there are any other similar cases in the world.”
Netanyahu is charged with fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in three separate cases. The 75-year-old is accused of accepting tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of cigars and champagne from a billionaire Hollywood producer in exchange for assisting him with personal and business interests.
In response to questions about those claims, Netanyahu said “It is a complete lie. From time to time I indulge in a cigar … [but] I hate champagne.”
He said the charges were not just absurd, but a disgrace. The trial continues.
Israeli strikes across Gaza Strip kill at least 34 Palestinians
Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip killed at least 34 Palestinians overnight and on Tuesday, Reuters reports medics in the territory have said.
An Israeli airstrike killed at least 25 people in Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza, where Israeli forces have operated since October, and injured dozens of others in a multi-floored building.
The Palestinian civil emergency service said most of those killed were from the same family, including women and children.
Another airstrike on a house in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza killed at least seven people, while at least two people were killed in Rafah in the south.
In a statement, Israel’s military said it has “eliminated ten terrorists” who took part in an attack on Monday which led to the deaths of three Israeli soldiers in northern Gaza.
Palestinian news agency Wafa reports that what it describes as “a wide-scale arrest campaign” has taken place in the Israeli-occupied West Bank since last night, with at least 40 Palestinians arrested by Israeli security forces.
Wafa reports that the number of arrests made by Israeli security forces in the occupied West Bank since the 7 October 2023 attack now exceeds 12,000.
Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has spoken to Nato secretary general Mark Rutte, and told the alliance’s leader that Turkey “will continue to do its utmost to help build a unified and terrorism-free Syria.”
In a statement about the call from Erdoğan’s office, it claimed Turkey has always “supported the preservation of Syria’s territorial integrity and stability since the very first day of the civil war.”
Turkey has had a long-running conflict with Kurdish separatists based in the north of Syria who Turkey considers to be terrorists.
Qatar: ‘unacceptable’ that Israel seeks to exploit situation in Syria
Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesperson has said it is “unacceptable” that Israel is seeking to take advantage of the situation in Syria, and added that Israel has violated Syria’s sovereignty.
Saying that there should be no foreign interference in Syria, the spokesperson added that all channels of communication are open with Qatar for all parties in Syria for dialogue about the future, and that the region is witnessing historic days.
There is, the spokesperson said, a ray of hope for the Syrian people.
Reuters reports that the foreign ministry of Turkey has also strongly condemned Israel’s ground invasion into Syrian territory, which it launched from the Golan Heights which Israel has occupied since 1967.
Israel’s military has denied that its troops have moved inside Syria beyond the buffer zone next to the Golan Heights. The UN’s special envoy to Syria, Geir Pedersen, has said Israel is in breach of the Israel-Syria disengagement agreement from 1974.
Here are some of the latest images sent over the news wires from Syria.
The UN has announced that Najat Rushdie, the deputy special envoy for Syria, is convening a humanitarian task force to co-ordinate responses to the collapse of the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria.
Geir Pedersen, the UN special envoy to Syria, has said that while the situation in the country remains “fluid” it may be premature for refugees to be repatriated.
Speaking at a media briefing in Geneva, he said that many Syrians hope to go home, but the situation in the country remains challenging.
Separately a UN spokesperson said that humanitarian needs in Syria are growing, and that a large-scale response is needed.
Several European states, including Austria, Greece, the UK and Croatia have already announced that they have stopped processing asylum applications from Syrian refugees.
UN special envoy to Syria tells Israel it must stop airstrikes and ground invasion of Syria
The UN’s special envoy to Syria, Geir Pedersen, has cautioned Israel that its airstrikes and ground invasion into Syrian territory need to stop, and said its actions are in violation of the 1974 agreement between Israel and Syria.
Speaking at a media briefing in Geneva, the Norwegian said:
I am not in contact with the Israelis. But of course, the United Nations in New York, they are. And you know, the peacekeepers on the Golan Heights are, of course, in daily contact with with Israelis. And the message from New York is the same. What we are seeing is a violation of the disengagement agreement from 1974, so we will obviously, with our colleagues in New York, follow this extremely closely in the hours and days ahead.
Israel has claimed it is taking “limited and temporary measures” to ensure its security. Troops have entered Syria from the area of the Golan Heights, which Israel seized from Syria in 1967 and unilaterally annexed in 1981.
On Tuesday Israel denied reports that its troops had come within 25km of Damascus. Lt Col Nadav Shoshani, an Israeli military spokesperson, said “the reports circulating in the media about the alleged advancement of Israeli tanks towards Damascus are false.”
He claimed Israeli troops are stationed within a buffer zone between the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights and Syria. Israel’s military had previously said troops would enter the buffer zone “and several other places necessary for its defence.”
Overnight Israel carried out a series of airstrikes on the Syrian capital. Associated Press reports that the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Israel has carried out more than 300 airstrikes across the country since Bashar al-Assad was overthrown.
Israeli media has reported that the IDF is “systematically destroying” what is left of Assad’s military.
Associated Press reports that in a statement on Tuesday Saudi Arabia condemned Israel’s actions, saying:
The assaults carried out by the Israeli occupation government, including the seizure of the buffer zone in the Golan Heights, and the targeting of Syrian territory confirm Israel’s continued violation of the principles of international law and its determination to sabotage Syria’s chances of restoring its security, stability and territorial integrity.
A UN spokesperson in Geneva has told the media that the international body has seen an increase in press freedom in Syria in the last few days, and urged for journalists to be protected.
Speaking at a briefing, the spokesperson said:
We want to note that we have observed an increase in media freedom in many areas of Syria in recent days. We acknowledge this development, and we urge all parties to respect media freedom and workers and journalists, emphasising that they are civilians who must be protected.
Benjamin Netanyahu arrives in court to give evidence in his corruption trial
Peter Beaumont
Peter Beaumont reports for the Guardian from Jerusalem
Benjamin Netanyahu has arrived in court in Tel Aviv to give evidence in his long-running corruption trial, becoming the first sitting Israeli prime minister to take the stand as a criminal defendant.
The rightwing populist politician, who is also wanted under an international warrant issued by the ICC for alleged war crimes in Gaza, has long tried to avoid this day, despite insisting on Monday night in a taped video address that he welcomed the opportunity to give evidence.
His appearance in a small, stuffy and crowded courtroom follows last-minute efforts by his political allies in the Knesset to put off the court date, citing clashes over voting, as well as the invocation of the “security situation” in Israel.
Wearing a blue suit and white shirt, with a flag of Israel on one lapel and the yellow ribbon symbol of Israel’s hostages in Gaza on the other, Netanyahu appeared serious and somewhat haggard, shaking hands with the ministers and MPs who had come to support him as he arrived.
In his opening speech, his defence attorney, Amit Hadad, criticised the indictment against his client, saying: “The Israeli police did not investigate a crime, but a person.”
Netanyahu is charged with fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in three separate cases. The 75-year-old denies wrongdoing, saying the charges are a witch-hunt orchestrated by a hostile media and a biased legal system out to topple his lengthy rule.
Read more of Peter Beaumont’s report here: Benjamin Netanyahu arrives in court to give evidence in his corruption trial
Austria’s chancellor Karl Nehammer has posted to social media to say that his country would assist those who wanted to return to Syria, saying “The fall of the Assad regime is changing the overall situation in Syria. The country now needs its citizens. We will support everyone who wants to return to their homeland.”
Yesterday Austria was one of the first countries in Europe to say it was suspending the processing of asylum claims from Syrians.
In the UK, a Home Office minister has said the country has “suspended” asylum application processing for Syrians until “until we can see what emerges from the current situation.”
Speaking to the media this morning, PA Media reports Angela Eagle said:
We have suspended our consideration of the current asylum claims – about 6,500 – until we can see what emerges from the current situation.
If people wish to go home we’d certainly like to facilitate that, but I think it’s too early to say what will emerge from the events that have happened in the last few days.
One of the main reasons why people were fleeing and claiming asylum was to get away from the Assad regime. Because things are so fluid we need to wait a little bit before we try to recommence asylum decisions in a territory where things are changing so rapidly.
Eagle also said that security services were on alert for British citizens returning from Syria who may have been part of Islamist militant groups there. She said:
Rest assured that the intelligence services are keeping a very close eye on what’s going on and we’re in contact with all of our allies to see how this pans out.
Clearly any potential return of jihadists is a matter of great concern, which is why we’ll be keeping a very very close eye on how this situation develops in the coming days and weeks.
The UK Home Office is the equivalent of an interior ministry.
Palestinian news agency Wafa reports that the death toll from an Israeli strike overnight on Beit Hanoun in the north of the Gaza Strip has risen to at least 25.
It reports “more than 25 citizens, including children and women, were killed and dozens were injured, most of them seriously” in the strike.
The claims have not been independently verified.
Benjamin Netanyahu has arrived in court in Tel Aviv for today’s hearing in his trial on corruption charges.
Netanyahu is the first sitting prime minister of Israel to face a criminal trial. Israel’s longest-serving leader is alleged to have accepted hundreds of thousands of pounds in luxury gifts from billionaire friends and traded valuable favours with Israeli media and telecoms moguls for favourable news coverage. He faces charges of bribery, fraud and breach of public trust in three separate cases.
Netanyahu has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, and claimed he is the victim of a politically motivated witch-hunt. He has pleaded not guilty.
William Christou
William Christou reports for the Guardian from Syria
Israel carried out overnight strikes in Damascus, shaking windows across the capital city as it targeted any assets or advanced weaponry that could be seized by rebels after they toppled the Assad regime. An Israeli drone’s buzz could be heard in Damascus into the late hours of the night preceding the airstrikes.
Earlier in the day, residents in Kanaker, south of Damascus, said they heard Israeli strikes on the outskirts of the village, as Israeli tanks reached 25km south-west of Damascus. “They are trying to create a belt of fire [a buffer zone] between the two countries,” one resident said. A Guardian correspondent saw two black smoke plumes rising from beyond Ommayad Square in Damascus, a result of apparent Israeli strikes, late on Monday afternoon.
Israeli media reported officials saying they did not plan to operate beyond the borders of the buffer zone that existed between Syria and Israel – though tanks had already crossed beyond it.
In the capital city, residents were waiting for life to return back to normal. Internet service had gone out in many parts of Damascus, as telecom operators ran out of diesel. Data was in short supply as the country’s banking system was still frozen, paralysing the entire economy.
The fate of the country’s currency, which still bore the emblem and two stars of the Assad regime, was unknown. In restaurants and stores, people hadn’t agreed on a stable exchange rate.
Despite the uncertainty of the country’s fate, people were eager to move forward. Bassel, who runs a clothing shop in the old market of Damascus, said he was going to re-open his store today. “We will return, re-open and everything will hopefully be better,” he said. A state of cautious calm prevailed over the city, with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham fighters deployed throughout, particularly in front of public institutions.
Outside Damascus, life had already come roaring back. Residents of Douma, a suburb of Damascus made infamous after Assad’s forces carried out chemical attacks on it in 2013 and 2018, hung banners welcoming residents returning from north Syria after years of displacement. Unlike in the capital city, storefronts were open and people lined up outside of shawarma restaurants, doling out sandwiches to rejoicing families in the destroyed cityscape.
Israel denies reports that its tanks have reached Qatana in Syria, close to Damascus
Israel has denied reports that its tanks have reached Qatana, which is 10km (six miles) into Syrian territory, east of the demilitarised zone separating the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights from Syria, and on the approach to Damascus.
Reuters, citing Syrian security sources, said Israeli troops had reached Qatana, and that Israel’s military had declined to comment. Sky News in the UK reports that the IDF had denied the claims to it. Qatana is about 25 km (16 miles) south-west of Syria’s capital.
On Monday, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the Golan Heights, occupied by Israel for almost 60 years, will remain part of Israel “for eternity”. The strategically valuable territory provides a vantage point over Israel, Lebanon and Syria.
Netanyahu said control of the high ground “ensures our security and sovereignty”, after he had ordered troops to move into a UN-patrolled buffer zone separating Israeli-controlled territory from Syria.
Regional security sources and officers within the fallen Syrian army told Reuters heavy Israeli airstrikes continued against military installations and airbases across Syria overnight, destroying dozens of helicopters and jets, as well as Republican Guard assets in and around Damascus. The rough tally of 200 raids had left nothing of the Syrian army’s assets, they said.