Middle East crisis live: Israel ‘crossed lines of engagement’ with military actions inside Syria, de facto leader says
Good morning and welcome to the Middle East crisis live blog. I’m Tom Ambrose and I’ll be bringing you all the latest developments throughout the region today.
We start with news that Syria’s de facto leader claims that Israel has “crossed the lines of engagement” over its military actions inside the country.
Israeli troops moved into a demilitarised zone inside the country after the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group seized control last week, saying it did so to ensure border security for Israelis living in the occupied Golan Heights area.
However, HTS leader Ahmad al Sharaa – known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al Jolani – told the Syrian TV website:
The Israelis have clearly crossed the lines of engagement in Syria, which poses a threat of unwarranted escalation in the region.
Syria’s war-weary condition, after years of conflict and war, does not allow for new confrontations.
The priority at this stage is reconstruction and stability, not being drawn into disputes that could lead to further destruction.
He added that diplomatic solutions were the only way to ensure security and stability and that “uncalculated military adventures” were not wanted.
The chief of staff for Israel’s military, Herzi Halevi, said:
We are not interfering in what is happening inside Syria, nor do we intend to govern it.
However, we are unequivocally involved in ensuring the security of Israeli citizens living in communities behind us in the Golan Heights.
In other news:
Jordan is hosting diplomats from the US, EU, and Turkey and Arab nations to discuss the developing situation in Syria, 24 hours after swathes of the nation’s population celebrated the ousting of president Bashar al-Assad.
An Israeli strike on a school sheltering displaced Palestinians in Gaza killed at least seven and wounded 12 others, the civil emergency service in Gaza City said on Saturday.
The UN’s special envoy urged foreign powers to work to avoid a collapse of vital Syrian institutions on Saturday.
Gaza’s health ministry is reporting that 44,930 Palestinians have now been killed and 106,624 injured in Israel’s Gaza offensive since 7 October.