Russia comments on Israel’s attacks on Syria

Moscow demands that West Jerusalem respect the Arab country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity

Moscow has demanded that the Israeli government immediately cease attacks on the Syrian Arab Republic and respect the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday.

Speaking at a press conference with his Syrian counterpart on Tuesday, Lavrov said Moscow “strongly condemns” Israel’s “dangerous practice of carrying out strikes on Syrian territory.” 

Moscow’s top diplomat cited the “disturbing” episodes of an attack on Damascus International Airport back in June and the more recent attacks on the Damascus and Tartus regions.

“We demand that Israel respect the resolution of the United Nations Security Council, and, above all, respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic,” Lavrov said following bilateral talks with Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad in Moscow.

The statement comes after Israel’s top general revealed last week that a “third country” was targeted during a recent military operation conducted by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) against Palestinian militants.

READ MORE: Three killed in Israeli airstrikes, Syria says

Although the general did not specifically name Syria as the “third country,” his announcement came just a few days after the Syrian authorities reported three soldiers dead following an Israeli air attack on the suburbs of Damascus.

Despite launching hundreds of attacks on Syrian territory over the years, Israel has generally avoided publicly acknowledging its actions. When it does admit to the strikes, however, it explains them as self-defense against Iranian proxies.