Türkiye and several other regional countries have condemned an Israeli invasion of Syria in violation of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement.
"We strongly condemn Israel's violation of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement by entering the Israel-Syria zone and its continuing advance into Syrian territory," the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement Tuesday.
Highlighting the critical timing of the incursion, the ministry added: "In this sensitive period, when there is a possibility of achieving the peace and stability that the Syrian people have been longing for many years, Israel is once again displaying its occupier mentality."
The 1974 agreement, brokered to maintain a cease-fire following the Yom Kippur War, was designed to create a buffer zone between Israeli and Syrian forces.
Türkiye’s denunciation came amid heightened tensions in the region, with concerns that the move could undermine efforts for lasting peace and stability in war-torn Syria.
Earlier Monday, Saudi Arabia also condemned Israel's seizure of a U.N.-patrolled buffer zone in the Golan Heights.
"The seizure of the buffer zone in the Golan Heights ... confirm Israel's continued violation of the rules of international law, and its determination to sabotage Syria's chances of restoring its security, stability and territorial integrity," the Saudi foreign ministry said in a statement.
Qatar also condemned the move calling it "a dangerous development."
Egypt has also slammed Israel's "further occupation of Syrian lands" and views the Israeli military's movement into a buffer zone as an attempt to enforce a new reality on the ground, it said in a Foreign Ministry statement Monday.
Israel moved tanks over the border into the buffer zone with Syria, claiming the move was temporary and limited and aimed at ensuring Israel's security.
Tel Aviv has also carried out over 250 airstrikes on key Syrian military sites, destroying sensitive equipment and weapons systems.
