HAMILTON, Canada

The UN Security Council on Monday extended the mandate of the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights for another six months.

The resolution, submitted by the US and Russia, extends the UNDOF's mandate until June 30, 2026.

The resolution drew unanimous support, with all 15 council members voting in favor.

Speaking after the vote, US State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce welcomed the adoption of the resolution and emphasized the "important role" of the UNDOF for "upholding peace, security, and stability along the Israel-Syria border."

Russia's senior counsellor to the UN, Dina Gilmutdinova, also welcomed the extension of the mandate but called on Israel to follow Syria's footsteps and "exercise restraint, avoiding any unilateral, illegitimate, and provocative steps."

"We call on it also to maintain regular contacts with UNDOF to settle any differences which arise," she said, and expressed gratitude to the UNDOF mission and its personnel.

​​​​​​Disengagement agreement

Signed on May 31, 1974, the agreement stipulates Israel’s withdrawal from all of the areas of Mount Hermon it had occupied during the 1973 Arab-Israeli War, as well as an area of about 25 square kilometers (9.6 square miles) that included Quneitra and other locations.

The agreement defines the current border between Israel and Syria along with the accompanying military arrangements, creating two separation lines—Israeli (blue) and Syrian (red)—with a buffer zone between them.

The UNDOF monitors the agreement, as it is tasked with maintaining the ceasefire between Israel and Syria following the 1973 war.

Since 1974, UNDOF has patrolled the buffer zone between the Israeli- and Syrian-controlled zones.

Israel occupied most of the Golan Heights during the 1967 Middle East war and later annexed the territory in a move never recognized by the international community.