Pakistan told the UN Security Council that Israel’s recent air strikes across Syria were in flagrant violation of international law, and also undermined the country’s pursuit of political stabilisation and national reconciliation, the Associated Press of Pakistan reported on Friday.

Earlier in the month, Israel stepped up airstrikes on Syria, declaring the attacks a warning to the new religious rulers in Damascus as it accused their ally Turkiye of trying to turn the country into a Turkish protectorate.

The strikes, targeting air bases, a site near Damascus and the southwest, put renewed focus on Israeli concerns about the religious fighters who deposed Bashar al-Assad in December, with Israeli officials viewing them as a rising threat at their border.

“We are witnessing a deeply troubling pattern: continued, unprovoked Israeli military aggression; repeated violations of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement; an illegal military presence in the area of separation; and open declarations of indefinite occupation, “ Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the UN Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad told the 15-member Council during a briefing on the situation in Syria on Thursday.

Voicing alarm at the escalating attacks on multiple locations in Syria including civilian infrastructure and urban centres, he said those military actions have caused civilian casualties and posed a grave threat to regional and international peace and security.

“The Security Council cannot allow illegal military actions to set dangerous precedents,” the Pakistani envoy said, pointing out that last month, the UNSC itself had reaffirmed Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and called for upholding these principles.

But Israel’s actions, he said, were in direct violation of this consensus, and it must, therefore, act “decisively and ensure accountability”.

Pakistan was equally concerned about the broader regional implications of the Israeli actions, Ambassador Asim said, warning that continued escalation risks igniting wider conflict at a time when diplomacy, de-escalation, and reconstruction must be the priority.

He said that Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity must be fully respected, highlighting that Israel’s occupation of the Syrian Golan remained illegal and, as such, null and void.

“The Council must demand Israel’s complete withdrawal from the occupied Golan Heights”, the Pakistani envoy said.

Ambassador Asim reaffirmed Pakistan’s principled support for a Syrian-led and owned political process, which, he added, was grounded in the principles contained in Security Council resolution 2254. Sustainable peace in Syria, he said, depends on an inclusive political transition, national unity, and reconciliation.

Recent progress, including the formation of a transitional government, adoption of an interim constitution, and integration of civil and military institutions, must not be derailed by external military interference, Ambassador Asim warned.

He described the humanitarian consequences of the Israeli attacks as devastating and reminded the Council that with over 16 million people already in need, the deliberate targeting of civilian areas and infrastructure only deepens the crisis and violates the core principles of international humanitarian law.

Turkish and Israeli officials began talks on Wednesday aimed at preventing unwanted incidents in Syria, where militaries of the two regional powers are active, Turkish ministry sources and an Israeli political source said on Thursday, Reuters reported.

The Turkish sources said the technical talks in Azerbaijan, marked the beginning of efforts to set up a channel to avoid potential clashes or misunderstandings over military operations in the region. “Efforts will continue to establish this mechanism,” one of the Turkish sources said, without providing further details on the scope or timeline of the talks.

Israel’s ongoing onslaught in Gaza has escalated regional tensions, with Arab countries — such as Lebanon, Yemen, and Syria — as well as Iran, involved, raising concerns over a potential wider regional conflict.

Israel launched its invasion of Gaza after Hamas’s Oct 7, 2023 attacks that has at least killed 50,887 Palestinians, amid accusations of genocide.