Following Defense Minister's Tour

Syria Condemns Katz's Visit to IDF Bases

Syrian Foreign Ministry calls Israel Katz's tour of military positions beyond the Golan border "illegal entry" and "clear provocation," demanding immediate withdrawal to 1974 disengagement line

Eliana Fleming

AUG 25, 2026 19:37

1 min read

Syria's Foreign Ministry issued a sharp condemnation on Tuesday following Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz's visit to IDF bases located on Syrian territory. The ministry characterized the visit as "illegal entry and crossing of international borders."

In its statement, the Syrian government described the action as "a clear provocation and violation of international law and the United Nations Charter." The ministry further stated that the visit breaches commitments made under the 1974 disengagement agreement, which requires respect for ceasefire lines and prohibits crossing them.

The Syrian statement called on the international community "to assume its legal and political responsibility, and to take necessary measures to compel the authorities to stop these repeated violations, to withdraw immediately and completely from Syrian territories into which their forces have penetrated, to return to the disengagement line, and to respect Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity."

The 1974 agreement referenced by Damascus established a buffer zone between Israeli and Syrian forces following the Yom Kippur War, creating the framework that has governed the ceasefire on the Golan Heights for five decades.