ALBAWABA- Turkey has strongly condemned Israel's latest military operations in southern Syria, describing the attacks as a blatant violation of Syrian sovereignty and territorial integrity amid the country's fragile post-Assad transition.
Israeli forces carried out artillery strikes and ground incursions over the weekend in Syria's southern provinces of Quneitra and Daraa. Syrian state media and local reports said shelling struck villages, including Abdeen in western Daraa, while Israeli fighter jets flew over the Yarmouk Basin and troops conducted raids and established checkpoints near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
The operations reportedly displaced civilians and heightened tensions along the border. Syrian authorities condemned the attacks as repeated violations of the country's sovereignty and the 1974 Disengagement Agreement.
In a strongly worded statement, Turkey's Foreign Ministry said the Israeli attacks on Quneitra and Daraa constituted a clear breach of Syria's unity, territorial integrity, and sovereignty at a critical stage in the country's political transition.
Ankara urged the international community to fulfill its responsibilities and take concrete measures to halt what it described as Israeli actions that threaten regional stability and undermine Syria's recovery. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has repeatedly warned against any attempt to fragment or further destabilize Syria.
Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa also denounced Israel's actions, accusing it of exploiting Syria's political transition to fuel instability and division. He said Israel had "always sought to undermine Syria's stability and sow discord" and was once again attempting to turn the country into "an arena of unending chaos" following the fall of the Assad regime.
Al-Sharaa warned that Israel's objective was to fragment Syria, weaken national unity, and derail reconstruction efforts, stressing that "Syria is not a testing ground for foreign conspiracies or a place for pursuing the ambitions of others at the expense of the blood of our children and women."
He also asserted that while military superiority may enable a country to start a war, it does not guarantee control over its outcome, emphasizing that Syrians remain united in rejecting division and foreign interference.
The latest escalation comes as Syria's interim government, led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa following the ouster of Bashar al-Assad in late 2024, seeks to rebuild state institutions, restore central authority, revive the economy, and address security and governance challenges.
Israel has conducted repeated military operations in southern Syria throughout 2026, allegedly citing security concerns and the need to prevent hostile groups from operating near its border. The operations have drawn widespread criticism from regional governments, including Turkey and several Arab states, which have called for respect for Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The renewed Israeli strikes are expected to further complicate efforts to stabilize southern Syria and advance the country's post-conflict transition, as regional actors continue to call for de-escalation and adherence to international agreements.
