DAMASCUS (Reuters) – Syria condemned on Tuesday Israel’s incursion into its territories and called for Israel to withdraw, according to a the closing statement of a national dialogue summit organised by Syria’s new Islamist rulers to outline the country’s political roadmap.
Israel moved forces into a U.N.-monitored demilitarized zone within Syria after rebels led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a former Al Qaeda affiliate, toppled former President Bashar al-Assad in December.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israel will not tolerate the presence of HTS in southern Syria, nor any other forces affiliated with the country’s new rulers, and demanded the territory be demilitarized.
(Reporting by Timour Azhari, Writing by Nayera Abdallah; Editing by Alexandra Hudson)
