The South African government has condemned Israel’s attacks on the Syrian capital Damascus, blowing up part of the Syrian Ministry of Defence and hitting airstrikes near the Presidential Palace.

The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) described the attack on Wednesday, 16 July 2025, as a flagrant violation of the country’s territorial integrity and international law.

“Israel’s announcement on 17 July 2025, that it will continue to occupy Syrian territory south of the capital Damascus is a serious threat to Syria’s sovereignty. Israel’s redeployment of forces in the Golan Heights, its occupation of Quneitra near the Golan Heights, and its airstrikes on Suwayda, Daraa, and in the centre of Damascus are a military escalation that threatens security and stability in the country and the region.

“The United Nations Secretary General, António Guterres, has called on Israel to cease any violations of Syria’s sovereignty and respect the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement,” DIRCO said on Friday.

South Africa concurred with the UN Secretary-General, who also condemned Israel’s “escalatory airstrikes” and called for an immediate de-escalation of violence and measures to facilitate humanitarian access.