U.N. Deputy Special Envoy for Syria Claudio Cordone urged Israel to respect Syria’s sovereignty after Anadolu Agency reported that a civilian was shot and killed during an Israeli operation in Daraa province.
Anadolu identified the man as Muath Salama al-Baeer and said the shooting took place in Jamla on Thursday, Oct. 22. A relative said al-Baeer had a hearing disability and was unable to respond when soldiers ordered him to stop.
Cordone expressed condolences to al-Baeer’s family in a post on X. “Israel must fully respect Syria’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and international law,” he said.
The Israeli military said its soldiers fired after a person moved toward them and did not respond to warnings. It said its review of the incident was continuing.
Anadolu’s report also said Israel’s military presence in southern Syria grew after Bashar al-Assad’s government fell in December 2024, extending into the U.N.-monitored buffer zone under the 1974 disengagement agreement.
