Qatar condemns Netanyahu’s illegal visit to the occupied Syrian territory

Doha said Netanyahu’s entry into Syrian territory was illegal, urging the international community to take action to compel Israel to comply with international law.Qatar has strongly condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s entry into Syrian territory, calling it a blatant violation of Syria’s sovereignty, a flagrant breach of international law and a “serious threat” to regional security.Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Netanyahu’s entry into Syrian territory and crossing of international borders was illegal, and urged the international community to take urgent action to compel Israel to comply with international law, particularly the 1974 Disengagement Agreement between Syria and Israel.“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs urges the international community to take urgent action to compel the Israeli occupation to comply with international law resolutions, particularly the 1974 Disengagement Agreement, and to stop its repeated attacks on Syrian territory to prevent further escalation and tension in the region,” the ministry said in a statement on Thursday.The ministry also reaffirmed Qatar’s full support for Syria’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, as well as its solidarity with the Syrian people in their pursuit of security, stability and prosperity.Netanyahu visited an Israeli military position on the Syrian side of Mount Hermon on Wednesday alongside Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz and senior military officials.Israel has illegally occupied Syria’s Golan Heights since 1967.Following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s government in December 2024, Israel expanded its military presence in Syrian territory, moving into the UN-monitored buffer zone and the Syrian side of Mount Hermon.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Mt. Hermon in Syria, together with Defense Minister Israel Katz and IDF Deputy Chief-of-Staff Maj- Gen. Tamir Yadai.The Prime Minister was briefed at an IDF outpost overlooking Syria by Head of Northern Command Maj.-Gen. Rafi Milo and… pic.twitter.com/pnEYLyKQya— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) September 9, 2026 During the visit, Netanyahu said Israel had gained significant control over the area.“We control the entire area from the summit of Mount Hermon to the Yarmouk. We will not allow any terrorist army to establish itself on our border,” he said.The visit comes amid growing international scrutiny of Israel’s military presence in southern Syria. A United Nations Commission of Inquiry said on Tuesday that Israel’s military presence and infrastructure in the area amounted to a “belligerent occupation”, while warning that some actions carried out by Israeli forces may constitute war crimes.Damascus also condemned Netanyahu’s visit to Mount Hermon, describing it as a provocative act and a violation of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.Syria’s Foreign Ministry said Netanyahu’s entry into Syrian territory constituted a “clear violation” of international law.The developments come against a longstanding international rejection of Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Syrian Golan Heights.UN Security Council Resolution 497, adopted in 1981, declared Israel’s decision to impose its laws, jurisdiction and administration on the occupied Golan Heights “null and void and without international legal effect”.