By The South Asia Times

ISLAMABAD - Foreign ministers from twelve nations, including Pakistan, Turkiye, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia, have issued a joint statement strongly condemning Israeli airstrikes targeting the Abu al-Duhur military airbase in northwestern Syria, describing the attacks as "an extreme escalation" and a "flagrant violation" of Syrian sovereignty.

The statement, issued Thursday by the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Algeria, Indonesia, Jordan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mauritania, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, and Turkiye, expressed deep concern over the continuous targeting and degradation of Syria's territory and infrastructure, warning that such actions directly risk undermining Syria's ongoing efforts to restore security, rebuild national institutions, and address the humanitarian consequences of years of prolonged conflict.

The ministers further underlined that Israel's continued violation of Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity risks further escalating tensions, undermining regional peace and stability, and eroding respect for international law and the principles of the UN Charter. They called upon the international community to adopt a firm, clear, and principled position in the face of continued aggression against Syria and to take concrete steps in accordance with international law to bring an end to these violations.

The ministers emphasized the need to ensure full respect for the 1974 Disengagement Agreement and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the areas they have occupied, thereby preventing further escalation and protecting regional peace and stability. They underscored the imperative of respect for Syria's sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, and political unity, stressing the rejection of any attempt to undermine them.

The joint condemnation comes just days after the Israeli airstrikes on the Abu al-Duhur Airbase in Idlib province, which Syria's foreign affairs authority condemned as an "unjustified act of aggression." The attacks have drawn widespread international concern, with Pakistan having earlier condemned the strikes as "unprovoked" and a "flagrant violation of international law." The united stance by twelve nations underscores growing regional alarm over Israel's military actions in Syria and the potential for further destabilization in an already volatile region.