https://apnews.com/article/israel-syria-quneitra-buffer-99639d93ab1ca037d058f60023983d74
An Israeli airstrike in South Syria killed three and injured five people. The attack originally targeted vehicles carrying weapons, and the victims where Syrian officials tied to Ahmad al-Sharaa’s new administration. Israel entered the UN patrolled buffer zone between the two states, claiming to “prevent hostile forces,” but Syria and other actors have condemned their entrance and call for them to withdraw all forces from the zone. The buffer zone was first created under the 1974 Disengagement Agreement after the war they fought in previous years. Syria believes that the strikes and incursions violated their sovereignty, which must be maintained to stabilize the region.
This is significant because their intrusions have violated a international agreement that has been maintained for decades before. I think this is because of the shift in power in Syria, as a Islamic leader arose. Their military presence will continue to rise tensions, possibly throughout the whole region if they continue to disregard Syria’s sovereignty. Other nearby states like Qatar or Turkey may be brought in. The UN may also take action in the buffer zone, however they may face some pushback from Israel ally member states, for example possibly the United States.
I think that Israel should discuss their security concerns diplomatically with Syria, the UN, and regional actors instead of escalating tensions and challenging the international law set in place. The UN can use their peacekeeping to find a solution between the two borders, and nearby states like Qatar can use their influence to pressure Israel to exit the buffer zone and respect Syria’s sovereignty.
I can very clearly connect this to the geopolitical consideration of the need to protect a state’s borders. Israel’s incursions of the buffer zone is a national security threat to Syria and their sovereign territory. Syria may act on these attacks to protect the borders and territory of their state.