UN chief accuses Syria of violating Golan accord
Ban Ki-moon urges end to fire across border into Israel
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is accusing the Syrian government of serious violations of the 1974 agreement that separated Israeli and Syrian forces in the Golan Heights and is calling on both countries to halt firing across the cease-fire line.
Ban urged Syria to stop deploying troops and military equipment in the disputed zone.
In a report to the UN Security Council circulated Monday, Ban said recent incidents across the cease-fire line have shown the potential to escalate Israeli-Syrian tensions, and jeopardize the agreement and the region’s stability.
The report recommends a six-month extension of the 1,036-strong UN peacekeeping force in the Golan Heights monitoring the 1974 agreement until June 30. Israel captured the Golan from Syria in 1967, and Syria wants the land returned in exchange for peace.
The Times of Israel Community.