Syria condemns Israeli ‘Sufa 53’ project in Quneitra countryside

LONDON: The Syrian Arab Republic condemned on Sunday Israeli excavation and construction work in the southern Quneitra countryside, saying the activity violated the 1974 Disengagement Agreement and international law.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry, in a statement posted on its official Telegram channel, cited the completion of work on the “Sufa 53 Line” as the latest in a series of Israeli violations of Syrian territory.

The ministry said Israeli military operations, field incursions and construction activity posed a direct threat to regional security and stability while undermining international law.

Israeli forces recently resumed excavation work west of Al-Asha village in southern Quneitra, the Hawar News Agency reported on Sunday, citing local sources. Israeli military vehicles entered the area, where crews dug trenches and built earth berms.

The work is part of the “Sufa 53” project, a fortified military route and network of observation posts along the separation line. The route is expected to extend toward Hader and the slopes of Mount Hermon.

Israel reportedly began the project, also referred to as “Great Storm,” in the Quneitra countryside in 2022. It includes construction of a military road, fortifications and observation posts near the occupied Golan Heights.

Syria said the project represents a “flagrant violation” of the 1974 agreement, which established a UN-monitored buffer zone between Syrian and Israeli forces following the 1973 Arab-Israeli war.

The Foreign Ministry urged the international community to take effective deterrent measures to stop the violations and prevent their recurrence. It also called on governments and international institutions to uphold state sovereignty and the inviolability of national borders.

Syria reaffirmed its right to exercise full sovereignty over all of its territory, citing international law and relevant UN resolutions.