Damascus, Syria– The United Nations, the European Union, and the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria on Friday condemned recent Israeli airstrikes across Syria, as well as a surge in sectarian violence in parts of the war-torn country.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres is “deeply concerned” about Israeli violations of Syria’s sovereignty, including air raids near the presidential palace in Damascus, his spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters. “It is essential that these attacks stop,” he said, urging Israel to respect Syria’s territorial integrity and independence.
Related: Israel Strikes Site Near Syrian Presidential Palace
Israel reportedly carried out nearly 20 airstrikes overnight across Damascus, Daraa, Hama, and Latakia, in what Syrian officials described as the most intense bombardment since the fall of the Assad regime. The strikes follow deadly sectarian clashes in southern Syria, particularly in Suwayda and rural Damascus.
The UN Commission of Inquiry warned that “rising violence and Israeli intervention threaten the prospects for lasting peace.” It also expressed alarm over sectarian-fueled clashes spreading from the Damascus countryside to the Druze-majority province of Suwayda.
“These developments risk exacerbating fragmentation and harming civilians,” the Commission said, adding that hate speech and incitement on social media are further fueling instability in a country still reeling from years of conflict.
Related: Drone Strike and Regional Escalations in Southern Syria
A spokesperson for the EU, Anwar El Anouni, called on Israel to adhere to the 1974 Disengagement Agreement governing the Golan Heights and to respect Syria’s sovereignty. “All parties must de-escalate and protect civilians,” he said.
According to Syrian state media (SANA), at least one person was killed in an Israeli strike near Harasta Military Hospital in rural Damascus. Other air raids reportedly struck military targets linked to the former Syrian regime and pro-Iranian forces in Hama, Latakia, and Daraa provinces.
On Friday morning, an Israeli warplane also struck a location near the presidential palace in Damascus, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed. The Israeli military claimed the operation was in response to threats against the Druze community in southern Syria.
Earlier, an Israeli drone strike in rural Suwayda killed four people, part of an ongoing wave of airstrikes targeting multiple locations across Syria.
