UNDOF (Golan)
Expected Council Action
In December, Council members will hold the quarterly consultations on the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in the Golan. An official from the Department of Peace Operations (DPO) is expected to brief on the Secretary-General’s latest 90-day report on UNDOF and the most recent developments.
Council members are expected to renew UNDOF’s mandate, which is set to expire on 31 December.
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 30 June, the Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 2782 renewing UNDOF’s mandate for six months.
Since the ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, the situation in the Golan has changed significantly due to an increased presence of Israel Defence Forces (IDF) troops in the demilitarised buffer zone and operations across the ceasefire line, in violation of the 1974 agreement. Since Assad’s removal, the IDF has repeatedly conducted airstrikes and ground operations on Syrian territory. Israel has cited national security concerns as the basis for its continued violations and has said that it will occupy the buffer zone indefinitely to ensure the demilitarisation and mitigation of threats from southern Syria. Since July, Israel has said that some of its operations have been aimed at protecting the Druze community in Syria’s southern Suweida governorate from intercommunal violence.
Under its new interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, Syria has repeatedly reaffirmed its commitment to the 1974 agreement, and despite strongly condemning Israeli attacks, it has not retaliated militarily. In an 11 November interview with The Washington Post—held while he was in Washington, DC for a historic meeting with US President Donald Trump—Sharaa said that Israel has “expansionist ambitions” for Syria and pushed back against Israeli demands for the demilitarisation of southern Syria.
Under Trump, the US seems to have adopted a policy committed to supporting Syria’s progress towards stability and peace with its neighbours, and is mediating discussions between Syria and Israel towards establishing a security agreement. In The Washington Post interview, Sharaa confirmed that his government is in “direct negotiations with Israel”, facilitated by the US, and is demanding that Israel withdraw to the positions it held before 8 December 2024, adding that Trump supports his country’s position. According to Israeli media, negotiations are facing an impasse, as this condition seems to be a non-starter for the Israelis unless it is accompanied by a comprehensive peace deal. (For more information, see the brief on Syria in our December 2025 Monthly Forecast.)
On 19 November, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited an outpost in Israeli-held territory in southern Syria. Netanyahu told troops that Israel’s presence there is of “immense importance” both for safeguarding the country’s security and the Druze population. That same day, at a Security Council meeting on Syria, Syrian Permanent Representative to the UN Ibrahim Olabi said that his government “strongly condemns this provocative tour” and called on the UN and the Council to take action to halt such violations by Israel.
Recent Israeli operations into Syria have reportedly included the setting up of a military checkpoint in the southern governorate of Quneitra on 5 November. On 14 November, Israeli forces reportedly raided the village of Jamlah in Deraa governorate. This follows an earlier raid on Jamlah on 4 October, during which the IDF detained three men. According to Syrian media, the families of the detainees have appealed to UNDOF for assistance. Similarly, on 15 November, three men were reportedly detained by the IDF in Quneitra. On 24 November, Syrian state news agency SANA reported that Israel conducted “multiple incursions” into Quneitra and set up a checkpoint close to an UNDOF post in the region. On 28 November, Israeli forces conducted a raid and airstrikes on the town of Beit Jinn in southern Syria, which reportedly killed at least 13 people, including two children, and wounded 25.
The Secretary-General’s most recent report on UNDOF’s activities, dated 26 September and covering the period from 20 May to 17 August, reported continued violations of the 1974 agreement, including at least nine breaches of the ceasefire and the continued presence of the IDF in the area of separation. The report said that as at 4 August, the IDF “maintained and reinforced” ten positions it had established in both the area of separation and limitation on the Syrian side. It also documented numerous observations of IDF strikes on former Syrian armed forces positions, and IDF interceptions of “aerial objects” flying towards the Israeli side. Additionally, UNDOF personnel reported experiencing continued restriction of movement in their area of operations, from both the IDF and the Syrian authorities, in violation of the 1974 agreement. According to the report, some UNDOF patrols were also obstructed by groups of armed individuals in the area of limitation on the Syrian side, which the mission assessed were related to a spillover of tensions from the clashes involving the Druze in Suweida.
The next UNDOF report by the Secretary-General is due on 3 December.
Human Rights-Related Developments
On 5 September, the UN Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories submitted a report to the General Assembly on Israel’s policies and practices to consolidate and expand its occupation of the Syrian Golan and other regions of the broader Middle East. Covering developments from August 2024 to July 2025, the report observed that “Israel has continued to transfer its civilian population to the occupied Syrian Golan in violation of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, and established a military presence further into Syrian territory, negatively affecting the human rights of the local Arab populations”. In light of these findings, the Special Committee underscored that any peace agreement between Israel and the Syrian Arab Republic must respect the rights of the population living in the occupied Syrian Golan since 1967 and in the recently occupied area.
The Special Committee, in a subsequent press release, warned that Israel is working to double the settler population in the occupied Golan and claims it will stay indefinitely in newly occupied areas further inside Syria. In this regard, the Special Committee emphasised the importance and need for the international community to act, underscoring that there must be accountability for these and other egregious violations of international law.
Jayantha Jayasuriya, Chair of the Special Committee, presented the report’s findings to the Fourth Committee of the General Assembly at its 80th session, held on 17 November.
Key Issues and Options
A key priority for the Council in December is the renewal of UNDOF’s mandate. Members could choose to have a straightforward renewal of the mandate to avoid complicated negotiations during a period in which discussions are ongoing between the parties over establishing a security agreement. Members could also consider updating the renewal resolution in light of the significant shift in security dynamics in the Golan, increased challenges for UNDOF in addressing ongoing violations of the 1974 agreement, and obstructions preventing the mission from carrying out its mandate, while ensuring the safety and security of the peacekeepers.
Another issue for the Council is that the significant Israeli presence in the buffer zone and repeated violations of the 1974 agreement could risk further destabilising internal security dynamics in Syria or lead to a significant escalation between the parties that could re-ignite the Israeli-Syrian conflict.
Members could consider adopting a presidential 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, securely and freely in accordance with the agreement. The Council could further urge de-escalation and express support for ongoing diplomatic efforts aimed at achieving a security agreement between Israel and Syria in such a statement.
Council and Wider Dynamics
The Council remains united in its view that UNDOF plays an important role in regional stability. In the 10 August presidential statement, authored by Denmark—the humanitarian penholder for Syria—and focused on violence in Suweida in July, the Council called “for the respect of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement, including the principles regarding the Area of Separation, as well as the mandate and role of UNDOF, and stresse[d] the obligation on all parties to fully abide by its terms and to maintain calm and reduce tensions”.
Despite historical divisions about who holds sovereignty over the Golan, Russia and the US have traditionally considered UNDOF as a separate issue on which they can agree, serving as co-penholders on the issue. In addition, following the ouster of Assad, the dynamic between Russia and the US on the Syrian file has seen a shift. The two countries, once holding strongly opposing views, have shown increased alignment, as demonstrated by their co-penholdership of a 14 March presidential statement addressing sectarian violence and key issues on Syria’s political transition.
The IDF’s recent actions and presence in the Golan—as well as statements by Israeli officials on this issue—have generated criticism from several Council members. Most Council members have consistently demanded Israel’s full withdrawal from Syria, while calling on all parties to adhere to the 1974 agreement. One of the main contentious issues during negotiations on the Council’s 10 August presidential statement, was over whether Israel’s military actions in Syria should be explicitly referenced and condemned in the text, with the “A3 Plus” members (Algeria, Sierra Leone, Somalia, and Guyana) and Pakistan arguing for such language while, on the other hand, the US was unwilling to accept a direct reference to Israel or its actions. (For more information, see our 9 August What’s in Blue story.)
| Security Council Resolutions | |
| 30 June 2025S/RES/2782 | This resolution renewed the mandate of UNDOF for six months until 31 December 2025. |
| 31 May 1974S/RES/350 | This resolution established UNDOF. |
| Secretary-General’s Report | |
| 26 September 2025S/2025/599 | This was the Secretary-General’s 90-day report on UNDOF, covering the period 20 May to 17 August 2025. |
| Security Council Meeting Record | |
| 17 January 2025S/PV.9840 | This was a Security Council meeting on UNIFIL and UNDOF. |
