ISTANBUL

Türkiye on Friday urged Israel to immediately halt its attacks on the town of Beit Jinn in rural Damascus, saying the strikes violate Syria’s sovereignty and threaten civilians and regional stability.

“As the Dec. 8 anniversary of the Syrian people’s liberation approaches, and amid international calls for Syria’s stability, Israel has once again shown it is pursuing a destructive agenda with its attacks on the town of Beit Jinn in rural Damascus,” The Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Oncu Keceli said on US social media company X.

He added that Israel, despite facing no threat from Syria, violates the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity with its military operations, posing a threat to civilians and regional stability.

Keceli called for an immediate end to Israel’s attacks, which he said aim to prevent the Syrian government and people from establishing security, prosperity and social peace, and stressed that all responsible members of the international community have a duty in this regard.

Earlier on Friday, at least 13 people were killed, including women and children, and 24 were wounded in Israel’s attack on Beit Jinn and the road leading to it, in rural areas around the capital Damascus.