Saudi Arabia: Israel is determined to sabotage Syria's chance for stability, and Golan belongs to Damascus

(Patria) - Saudi Arabia announced on Monday that Israel's occupation of the buffer zone on the Golan Heights shows its determination to sabotage Syria's chance to restore stability, Al Arabiya reported.

Israeli forces announced over the weekend that they had deployed to the buffer zone, claiming the move was made to protect Israeli citizens.

Despite Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar saying the takeover of territory was temporary, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quickly came out and said the Golan Heights would remain Israeli "for
eternity".

The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticized what the United Nations described as a violation of the 1974 Separation Agreement between Syria and Israel.

This takeover of territory "confirms Israel's continued violation of international law and its commitment to sabotaging Syria's chances of regaining its security, stability, and territorial integrity," the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement yesterday.

Riyadh called on the international community to condemn Israel's decision and called for respect for Syria's sovereignty, stating that "Golan is occupied Syrian land".