UNDOF (Golan)
Expected Council Action
In March, Council members will hold the quarterly consultations on the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in the Golan.
UNDOF’s mandate, which is typically renewed every six months, expires on 30 June 2025.
Background and Key Recent Developments
UNDOF was established following the conclusion of the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement (the 1974 agreement) between Israel and Syria, which ended the Yom Kippur War. Its mandate is to maintain the ceasefire between the parties and supervise the disengagement of Israeli and Syrian forces, as well as the areas of separation (a demilitarised buffer zone) and limitation (where Israeli and Syrian troops and equipment are restricted) in the Golan.
On 20 December 2024, the Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 2766, renewing UNDOF’s mandate for another six months. The mandate renewal came shortly after Israeli troops entered the demilitarised zone following the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad earlier that month and a statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declaring that the disengagement agreement had “collapsed”. A 13 December UNDOF press statement confirmed a “significant increase in Israel Defence Forces (IDF) movements within the area of separation and along the ceasefire line” in direct violation of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement.
The Secretary-General’s most recent report on UNDOF’s activities, dated 2 December 2024, noted that the ceasefire between Israel and Syria generally held during the reporting period of 21 August to 18 November 2024. It raised concerns, however, that violations of the 1974 agreement persisted at a time of heightened tensions and escalation in the region. The report preceded Assad’s ouster and the Israeli deployments into the buffer zone. The upcoming UNDOF report, due 12 March, is expected to cover these developments.
Israel has cited security concerns, including the need to protect residents in northern Israel, as the reason for its operations within the buffer zone. Although Israel had initially indicated that its presence in the area would be temporary, Defence Minister Israel Katz said on 28 January that the IDF would remain in the buffer zone “indefinitely”. During a 16 February meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Netanyahu spoke of preventing Iran from establishing a “new terror front” near the Golan Heights, stressing that “if any other force in Syria today believes that Israel will permit other hostile forces to use Syria as a base of operations against us, they are gravely mistaken. Israel will act to prevent any threat from emerging near our border in southwest Syria”.
Commenting on Israel’s presence in the buffer zone, Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa has emphasised that Syria remains committed to the 1974 agreement and is ready to welcome UN forces to “restore conditions to their prior state”. On 24 February, Netanyahu raised demands for the complete demilitarisation of southern Syria and affirmed that Israel would not allow any Hayat Tahrir al-Sham—the Security Council-listed terrorist group which led Assad’s ouster—or Syrian forces to enter the area south of Damascus. Following reported Israeli airstrikes in southern Syria on 25 February, Katz stressed that “any attempt by the Syrian regime forces and the country’s terrorist organizations to establish themselves in the security zone in southern Syria – will be met with fire.”
Satellite images published in Haaretz have revealed that the IDF has built at least seven new outposts in the area of separation since December—including on Mount Hermon, where UNDOF maintains the UN’s highest elevation permanently staffed position. Residents in the Golan have reportedly said that Israeli soldiers have prevented them from accessing their own homes, displaced residents, raided houses, and fired upon protesters demonstrating against the IDF’s presence, raising fears of occupation. Concerns have also been raised regarding locals’ access to the Al-Mantara Dam, which is a vital water source for the region.
On 17 January, the Security Council held a briefing on UNDOF and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). Russia requested the meeting to address the latest developments in the respective areas of operations. Head of the UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) Major General Patrick Gauchat, who was also Interim Head of UNDOF at the time, briefed the Council on how UNDOF’s operations have been impacted. He confirmed that the IDF remained present in the area of separation, carrying out construction work and setting up communications equipment, while also highlighting that UNDOF’s operational movements in the area of separation have been affected by their presence. Gauchat also informed the Council that local residents appealed to UNDOF for assistance regarding disruptive IDF actions in their communities, including roadblocks, damage to roads, and searches in villages. He added that the UNDOF was liaising with the IDF and Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on these issues, and there had been positive exchanges and progress in this regard.
On 11 December 2024, the Secretary-General announced the appointment of Major General Anita Asmah of Ghana as Head of Mission and Force Commander of UNDOF.
Key Issues and Options
In light of the significant shift in security dynamics in the Golan and increased challenges for UNDOF, a key issue for the Council is how to address ongoing violations of the 1974 agreement and obstructions preventing the mission from carrying out its mandate.
One option is to hold an informal interactive dialogue with key actors so that Council members can learn more about the extent of the IDF’s presence in the area of separation and how it is impacting the peacekeepers, including their safety, security, and freedom of movement. Council members may be interested in hearing more about the level of liaison among UNDOF, the Israeli authorities, and the Syrian caretaker authorities.
An issue for the Council is that the significant Israeli presence in the buffer zone could pose the risk of an escalation between the parties that might imperil the ceasefire between Israel and Syria. Members may consider issuing a press statement urging the parties to uphold international law and their obligations under the 1974 agreement, underscoring that there should be no military forces or activities in the area of separation, other than those of UNDOF. The statement could also express concern over risks posed to local civilian populations by violations of the 1974 agreement and call upon the parties to ensure that UNDOF is accorded the ability to operate safely and securely and is allowed to operate freely in accordance with the agreement.
Council and Wider Dynamics
The unanimous adoption of resolution 2766 on 20 December 2024, which reauthorised UNDOF’s mandate for six months, illustrated that the Council remains united in its view that UNDOF plays an important role in regional stability. Despite historical divisions in the Council regarding the Syria file and opposing positions of the UNDOF co-penholders—Russia and the US—about who holds sovereignty over the Golan, the two countries continue to consider UNDOF as a separate issue on which they agree.
Recent actions by the IDF and statements by Israeli officials, however, may lead to a greater divergence over Israel’s actions and presence in the Golan Heights. Following the adoption of resolution 2766, Algeria emphasised in a statement the illegality of the Israeli presence in the area of separation, noting that it violates the disengagement agreement and Security Council resolutions, and raised questions about the occupation of Syrian territory.
During the Council’s monthly Syria meeting on 12 February, several Council members expressed concerns regarding Israel’s presence in the area of separation, including Algeria speaking on behalf of the A3 Plus group (Algeria, Guyana, Sierra Leone and Somalia), China, Denmark, France, Slovenia, Pakistan, and Russia.
On the other hand, in its statement, the US noted its concerns about reports of “newly formed groups in Syria that are inciting violence, including by seeking to draw Israel into direct conflict” and that it claimed are financially and logistically supported by Iran. During that meeting, the Iranian representative described the claims as baseless and urged the Security Council to take decisive actions to address Israel’s presence in Syria.
The US and Russia are co-penholders on the UNDOF file.
| Security Council Resolutions | |
| 20 December 2024S/RES/2766 | This resolution renewed the mandate of UNDOF for six months until 30 June 2025. |
| 31 May 1974S/RES/350 | This resolution established UNDOF. |
| Secretary-General’s Reports | |
| 2 December 2024S/2024/875 | This was the Secretary-General’s 90-day report on UNDOF, covering the period 21 August 2024 to 18 November 2024. |
| Security Council Meeting Records | |
| 17 January 2025S/PV.9840 | This was a Security Council meeting on UNIFIL and UNDOF. |
