April 4, 2025
3 mins read

GCC condemns Israeli airstrikes in Syria

GCC SG Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi affirmed that these airstrikes represent a continuation of efforts by the Israeli occupation forces to undermine and destabilise regional and international security

Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi expressed his strong condemnation and denunciation of the Israeli occupation forces’ airstrikes on several locations in the Syrian Arab Republic, which resulted in multiple deaths and injuries.
Albudaiwi affirmed that these airstrikes represent a continuation of efforts by the Israeli occupation forces to undermine and destabilise regional and international security. He emphasised the importance of respecting Syria’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity.
“The international community’s silence regarding the repeated Israeli attacks encourages their continuation,” Albudaiwi stated, calling for concrete steps to halt such actions in a manner that supports peace and security in the region. A UN envoy also condemned Israel’s latest air and ground attacks on Syria, and denounced such moves undermine efforts toward peace and destabilise the country.

In a statement, Geir Pedersen, the UN special envoy for Syria, condemned the repeated and intensifying military escalations by Israel in Syria, including airstrikes that have reportedly resulted in civilian casualties, Xinhua news agency reported.

“The international community’s silence regarding the repeated Israeli attacks encourages their continuation.”
-Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, SG, GCC

“Such actions undermine efforts to build a new Syria at peace with itself and the region, and destabilise Syria at a sensitive time,” he said.

The special envoy called on Israel to cease these attacks which could amount to serious violations of international law and respect Syria’s sovereignty and existing agreements, and also to cease unilateral actions on the ground.

He urges all parties to prioritise diplomatic solutions and dialogue to address security concerns and prevent further escalation.

The Israeli military launched a wave of some 25 airstrikes targeting military sites across Syria late Wednesday, which reportedly killed at least four members of Syria’s defense authorities and wounded 12 others.

Syria’s state-run SANA news agency reported that one of the Israeli airstrikes hit the Jubailiyah Forest area between the city of Nawa and the town of Tasil in the southern Daraa Province, killing nine civilians and wounding several others.

Meanwhile, Israeli warplanes conducted two airstrikes on Thursday evening targeting the 75th Brigade near the town of al-Kiswah, south of Damascus, Syrian state television reported.

No immediate details were provided regarding casualties or the extent of damage from the strikes.

The attack followed a significant wave of Israeli airstrikes on Wednesday, which targeted five locations across Syria, including Damascus, Hama, and Homs.

The strikes on Hama resulted in the near-total destruction of the military airport and left at least nine people dead, including four Ministry of Defence personnel, according to local officials and state media.

Evacuations in Gaza

The Israeli military has ordered civilians in multiple areas of the northern Gaza Strip to evacuate immediately, citing intercepted rocket fire from Palestinian territory.

Military spokesman Avichay Adraee on Wednesday urged residents to “move immediately west to the shelters in Gaza City,” accusing “terrorist organisations” of launching attacks “from among civilians.”

Earlier on Wednesday, Israel’s military said its air defence systems intercepted two rockets fired from northern Gaza. Air raid sirens sounded in communities near the Palestinian enclave, police said.

Israel also tightened its grip on the southern part of the enclave. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a territorial expansion in southern Gaza, declaring troops were seizing land to establish a new security corridor.

In a video statement, Netanyahu said forces had begun taking control of the area between Khan Younis and Rafah, calling it a “second Philadelphi Corridor” akin to the buffer zone Israel occupies along Gaza’s border with Egypt. “We are slicing up the enclave,” he said, vowing to continue “striking militants and destroying infrastructure.”

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