Tag Archive for UNDOF

| June 7, 2013
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Putin: Russia prepared to replace Austrian (UN) peacekeepers in Golan Heights

Putin commits Russian troops just a day after Vienna announced it would recall its forces from the UN monitoring force, due to worsening fighting in Syria.

By , and Reuters
 

President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russia is ready to send peacekeepers to the Golan Heights to replace Austrian forces after Vienna said it would recall its troops from a UN monitoring force due to worsening fighting in Syria.

Quneitra

Clashes at Quneitra on the Israel-Syria border caused brush fire that crossed into Israel. – Photo: Gil Eliyahu

“We could replace the leaving Austrian contingent in this region on the border between Israeli troops and the Syrian army,” Putin told the RIA Novosti news agency. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: , , , , , ,
| June 7, 2013
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Jerusalem to UN: Replace Austrian peacekeepers that withdrew from Golan Heights

Israel says it does regret Austria’s decision to pull its more than 300 troops out of the 1,100-strong UN force following clashes at Quneitra, but expects the UN to maintain its mandate on the Israel-Syria border.

 

Israel demanded on Thursday that the United Nations replace the Austrian soldiers that were pulled out of a UN peacekeeping force on the Golan Heights as soon as possible.

Quneitra Syria

Smoke rises from a fire as a result of fighting in the Syrian village of Quneitra near the border with Israel. – Photo: AP

Following the battles at Quneitra in Syria early on Thursday morning, Austria announced it was withdrawing its troops that serve in the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in the Golan.

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Category: Mid-East News | Tags: , , , , ,
| April 8, 2013
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Israel Concerned After Syrian Troops Withdrawn from Golan

Damascus withdrew large numbers of gov’t troops from the Golan Heights & rebels have taken over, the Guardian reported.

By Elad Benari

 

 

The Syrian government has withdrawn large numbers of troops from the Golan Heights, in a move that has cast doubt over the future of a UN peacekeeping force on the strategically vital plateau, the British Guardian reported Sunday.

Western diplomats told the newspaper that the Syrian redeployments near the Golan ceasefire line were the most significant in 40 years, with at least several thousand soldiers thought to have been moved in recent weeks to battle fronts closer to Damascus. Continue Reading »

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| March 12, 2013
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Syrian rebels receive weapons from the West with Israel next target

Western countries have begun training & even arming the Syrian rebel groups in spite of warnings from Israel that these groups are radical Islamists that are likely to turn those newly acquired weapons on Israel.

By Ryan Jones

 

Israeli army chief Gen. Benny Gantz on Monday warned that the Syrian rebel groups that America and Europe are now helping to arm and train might turn their hostility toward Israel after ousting the regime of dictator Bashar Assad.

UNDOF soldiers watching for rebel fighters who've infiltrated the Golan Heights DMZ - Photo Israel Today

UNDOF soldiers watching for rebel fighters who’ve infiltrated the Golan Heights DMZ – Photo: Israel Today

“The situation in Syria has become unstable and incredibly dangerous,” Gantz said at the 2013 Herzliya Conference. Continue Reading »

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| March 9, 2013
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Syrian rebels shoot weapons in Golan DMZ

Exploiting the UN peacekeepers’ absence, Assad’s opponents release videos shot not in demilitarized zone on border with Israel where they vow to ‘return the Golan to the free Syrian people’

By Roi Kais

 

Syrian rebels, active in the Syrian Golan Heights, are approaching the Israeli border: While 21 United Nation peacekeepers were released by the rebels after being held for four days, Syrian President Bashar Assad ‘s opponents on Saturday evening posted videos showing them firing in the air not far from the border with Israel.

Rebels within demilitarized zoneIn one of the videos, the rebels are seen traveling in a vehicle within a demilitarized area. Continue Reading »

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| March 8, 2013
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8 UN soldiers abandon post in Syria and march into Israel

In fear of additional kidnappings, peacekeepers were ordered by their commander to abandon their post in Syria then the IDF soldiers meet them at border crossing.

Yoav Zitun

 

Two days after 21 Filipino UN peacekeepers were kidnapped by Syrian rebels in the village of Jamlah, situated less than a mile from the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights, eight other UN monitors from the Philippines abandoned their position on Friday and crossed the border into Israel.

UN position in Syria – Photo: AP

The soldiers, who belong to a UN force that has patrolled a ceasefire line between Israel and Syria for nearly four decades, were ordered by their commander to abandon the post for fear rebels may attempt to capture more peacekeepers. Continue Reading »

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| March 7, 2013
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The UNSC demands immediate & unconditional release of UN Hostages

20 UN peacekeepers detained in Golan Heights by member of ‘Martyrs of Yarmouk’ saying hostages would not be released until Assad’s forces withdraw from Golan village of Jamla

News agencies

 

The United Nations said about 20 peacekeepers had been detained by around 30 armed fighters in the Golan Heights on the border between Syria and Israel on Wednesday and that it has sent a team to resolve the situation.

כוח אודו"ף של האו"ם. מסייע למשטר אסד? (צילום: רויטרס)

UNDOF force in the Golan Heights – Photo: Reuters

The UN’s Security Council demanded their immediate and unconditional release.

The United Nations confirmation came in response to YouTube videos purporting to show Syrian rebels with the seized convoy. Continue Reading »

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