The US has urged Israel to halt its military operations in Syria, as tensions between the two countries continue to escalate.
What happened
US Special Presidential Envoy for Syria and Iraq Tom Barrack made the comments at a security forum in Qatar, saying it was time for Israel to stop its operations in Syria. The remarks came as Israeli forces pushed deeper into Quneitra province, searching homes and demolishing an abandoned house.
On October 22, Israeli troops shot and killed a man with Down syndrome, Muath Salama Al-Baeer, during a raid on the village of Jamla in Daraa province. The incident sparked widespread protests in Syria, with hundreds of people rallying in Damascus, Homs, Daraa, Quneitra, and Hasaka to condemn the killing.
The Syrian government has also been conducting its own campaign against the Islamic State (ISIS), with a recent raid on an ISIS cell in Rankous resulting in the deaths of five militants and the arrest of six others.
The US has supervised several meetings between Israeli and Syrian officials aimed at reaching a security agreement, but Israel has given no indication that it intends to withdraw from the region.
