Israel: Attacks on Syrian Kurds Must Stop

Photo Credit: Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar addresses international journalists in Jerusalem. Dec. 9, 2024

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar slammed recent attacks on Syrian Kurds while speaking to journalists Monday at a briefing in Jerusalem for foreign media.

“The attacks on the Kurds, as we saw yesterday in Manbij, must be stopped!” Sa’ar said.

“The international community has a moral obligation toward those who fought bravely against ISIS and won against ISIS, and it’s also a commitment for the future of Syria, because the Kurds are a stabilizing force in this country,” he said.

“We discussed this matter with the American administration, as much as with other states.”

The US-backed Syrian Kurdish forces have been deeply involved in the fight against ISIS. Nevertheless, fellow NATO member Turkey has for years attempted to wipe out the Kurds.

Turkey has been a strong supporter of the Syrian rebels in the north who have attacked the Kurdish-controlled Manbij region in northern Syria, about 30 kilometers (19 miles) from Turkey’s southern border.

The Ankara government maintains that Syria’s YPG Kurdish militia is be related to the PKK terrorist organization in Turkey.

The northern rebels are linked to those led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in southern Syria who captured Damascus this weekend and overthrew the regime of former President Bashar al-Assad.

As for the Jewish State, Sa’ar emphasized that Israel has interest in the internal affairs of Syria, per se.

“The only interest we have is the security of Israel and its citizens. That’s why we attacked strategic weapons systems – for example, the remaining chemical weapons, long-range missiles and rockets – in order that they will not fall into the hands of extremists,” he said.

Sa’ar’s statement was the first official Israeli acknowledgement of responsibility for the multiple airstrikes throughout the day on Sunday targeting sites in Damascus and its surrounds.