Geneva, Switzerland - December 10, 2024 United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Geir O. Pedersen on Tuesday urged Israel to stop its military operations in Syria. Israel must stop its military actions in Syria and bombardments of targets inside Syria, Pedersen said at a press conference. Damascus needs credible and transitional arrangements that ensure the representation of the broadest possible spectrum of Syrians, of the Syrian society and the Syrian parties, Pedersen said, adding there is a risk of new conflict in Syria if this is not happening. The UN envoy also repeatedly called for calm in the area. As many Syrians displaced by the war now prepare to return home, the UN envoy stressed the common desire of the foreign ministers he met in Doha at the weekend -- from Türkiye, Russia, Iran and some Arab States -- for Damascus' new rulers to act on their initial promising declarations in favor of a peaceful transition of power, and for the international community to ensure that this could happen. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement on Tuesday that it had carried out strikes against 320 strategic targets in Syria over the weekend, destroying advanced weaponry that Israel fears could fall into the hands of hostile elements. The targets destroyed in the strikes included Syrian air defense systems, missile depots, drones, helicopters, fighter jets, tanks, radars, and navy vessels, according to the IDF. The Syrian navy vessels were destroyed on Monday night in a large-scale operation carried out by the Israeli Navy, and the missile depots destroyed in the strikes included Scud missiles and cruise missiles, the statement added. The IDF has said that it is tracking advanced weapons in Syria and working to prevent them from falling into the hands of Hezbollah or any other hostile force that could threaten Israel. The IDF also said it would continue to deploy troops in the buffer zone between Israel and Syria in the Golan Heights, on the Syrian side of the border. The IDF has stressed that its deployment in the buffer zone is a defensive and temporary measure, but it may end up staying there for a long time depending on the situation. The buffer zone is a demilitarized area established by the 1974 disengagement agreement between Israeli and Syrian forces. Beirut-based Al Mayadeen reported on Tuesday that Israeli troops had occupied villages and towns in Rif Dimashq and advanced about 25 kilometers northwest of Damascus. The IDF denied the reports later on the day, saying Israeli troops are still in the buffer zone. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday that Israel was creating a "sterile defense zone" in southern Syria to prevent hostile forces from approaching its borders. Speaking during a visit to the Navy base in Haifa, Katz said he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had instructed the Israel Defense Forces to establish the zone, which would be "free of weapons and armed threats" and created "without a permanent Israeli presence." He did not provide details on the zone's geographic boundaries or the operations Israel would use to establish it. Shotlist: Geneva, Switzerland - Dec 10, 2024: 1. UN flag alley; 2. Various of press conference in progress; 3. SOUNDBITE (English) Geir O. Pedersen, United Nations Special Envoy for Syria: "Let me emphasize. We are still in what I would call a very fluid period. Things have not settled. There is a real opportunity for change, but this opportunity needs to be grasped by the Syrians themselves and supported by the UN and the international community."; 4. Press conference in progress; Damascus, Syria - Dec 9, 2024 5. Various of street scene, traffic, pedestrians, police officer; Damascus, Syria - Dec 8, 2024 6. Various of surroundings of weapons depot after Israeli attack, equipment on ground; 7. Various of tanks, military base. [Restriction - No Access Chinese Mainland/Orient TV/Syria Alshaab TV/Zanoubia TV/Alhurra TV/ANN TV/Al Jazeera/ Al-Arabiya TV]