Saudi Arabia condemned on Friday Israel’s “flagrant” attack on Syria’s in the Damascus countryside.
A Foreign Ministry statement said the Kingdom “categorically rejects all Israeli violations against Syria and attempts to destabilize the country and its people.”
It reiterated its “call on the international community, especially permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, to confront these repeated violations against Syria's sovereignty and the criminal Israeli practices against the Syrian border villages and regions.”
It also called for implementing all international resolutions and laws that will safeguard Syria’s sovereignty, unity and security.
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary General Jasem Al-Budaiwi said the continued Israeli attacks on Syria deepens the tensions in the region and undermines efforts to establish peace and stability.
He urged the international community to act immediately to halt these attacks and prevent further instability in the region.
He underlined the importance of preserving Syria’s territorial unity and protecting its sovereignty and instability and the need to bolster security and stability in the region in line with international law and the UN Charter.
Israeli forces raided a Syrian village and opened fire when they were confronted by residents on Friday, killing at least 13 people, Syrian officials said, in the deadliest Israeli attack since its troops seized a swath of southern Syria a year ago.
Syria’s Foreign Ministry called the attack a “horrific massacre” and said women and children were among those killed.
The Syrian state news agency SANA said Israeli forces entered the village of Beit Jin aiming to seize local men and opened heavy fire after being confronted by residents. Dozens of families fled the area.
Israel said Friday it conducted an operation to apprehend suspects from the Jamaa Islamiya group in Beit Jin who were planning IED and rocket attacks into Israel. It said other fighters opened fire at the troops, injuring six, and that troops returned fire, including bringing in air support. It said the operation had concluded, all of the suspects were apprehended and a number of gunmen were killed.