Germany criticizes Israel’s airstrikes on Syrian territory

BERLIN

Germany on Friday criticized Israel's military airstrikes on Syrian territory and called on Israel to halt actions that are not permitted under international law.

At a Berlin press conference, German Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Amelie Tittel emphasized that neighboring countries should not compromise Syria's political stability and national transition process.

“Armed forces can only take military action on foreign territory in the exercise of the right to self-defense,” Tittel said. "Until Israel explains how these military measures comply with international law, we urge Israel to refrain from these military operations."

She reaffirmed Germany's support for Syria's stability and its ongoing national political transition process following the collapse of the Assad regime.

“The top priority for Syrians is to restore long-term stability in Syria and this stability should not be jeopardized by the influence of foreign forces,” she said.

Israeli warplanes launched a series of airstrikes targeting several sites in the Syrian capital Damascus and the western provinces of Hama and Homs on Wednesday.

Israel’s military claimed that the strikes struck “military capabilities that remained” at the Hama airbase and T4 base in Homs, along with other military infrastructure in Damascus.

The Israeli army also launched a ground offensive in Daraa in southern Syria, where at least nine people were killed, according to local authorities.

After the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in December, Israel expanded its occupation of the Syrian Golan Heights by seizing the demilitarized buffer zone, a move that violated a 1974 disengagement agreement with Syria.

Israel also took advantage of the regime's fall to launch hundreds of strikes that targeted military sites and assets across Syria, including fighter jets, missile systems, and air defense installations, according to reports.