Israel to appeal to UNSC over Syrian tanks in Golan

After 3 Syrian tanks enter demilitarized zone in Golan Heights, Israel sets to appeal to UN; German FM calls incident "worrisome."

By TOVAH LAZAROFF
IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz tours Syrian border 390 (photo credit: IDF Spokesman Unit)
IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz tours Syrian border 390
(photo credit: IDF Spokesman Unit)
Israel plans to lodge a complain with the United Nations Security Council in New York over three Syrian tanks which entered the demilitarized zone in the Golan Heights on Saturday.
It follows a complaint the IDF filed Saturday with the UN peacekeeping forces in the area.
On Monday German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle also attacked the move, during a visit to Vientiane in Laos.
He called on Syria not to take any steps that would endanger the cease-fire in that area.
“The security incident in the Golan Heights in worrisome,” he said.
The cease-fire there under the UN has significance for peace and security in that area as a whole, Westerwelle added.
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According to the Israeli media the tanks were involved in fighting in the Syrian village of Beer Ajam against rebels trying to overthrow President Bashar Assad.
Errant Syrian mortars bombs landed in Israel in September, spurring Israel to lodge a with the UN observer force that monitors a long-standing, de facto truce between the two countries.
Reuters contributed to this report.