Damascus requests UN Security Council meeting over Golan Heights

Syria has requested a UN Security Council emergency meeting after the United States recognized Israel’s sovereignty over Golan Heights, according to diplomatic sources.

France, which holds the Security Council presidency this month, will appoint the date of the meeting soon, AFP reported.

On March 25, U.S. President Donald Trump signed a proclamation formally recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. Earlier, Russia and Syria as well as key European states, such as Germany and France, voiced their opposition to such unilateral actions.

The Golan Heights, which had belonged to Syria since 1944, was captured by Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War. In 1981, the Israeli parliament passed a law unilaterally declaring sovereignty over the Golan Heights. The UN Security Council declared the annexation null and void in its Resolution 497 on December 17, 1981.