France Calls on Israel to Withdraw Its Troops From Syria

In a press release published this Wednesday by the Quai d'Orsay, France called on Israel to withdraw its troops from the Syrian slope of Mount Hermon where the IDF aims to establish a buffer zone against the advance of jihadist rebels.

“France calls on Israel to withdraw from the area as well as to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria,” the statement said. Paris also joins the UN warning formulated earlier in the day, according to which any military deployment in the separation zone between Israel and Syria constitutes “a violation of the 1974 disengagement agreement”.

“France renews its full support for the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in the Golan, whose security must be preserved,” the statement said.

Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot also announced that he had spoken in recent days with his Israeli, Turkish, Jordanian, Qatari, Saudi and Iraqi counterparts regarding the situation in Syria. During these meetings, the head of French diplomacy called for silencing the guns and initiating a peaceful transition in the country, while working to preserve regional stability.