NEW YORK – The UN Security Council on Friday adopted a resolution thatstressed no military activity should occur in the de-militarized zonebetween Syria and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights amid the UNpeacekeepers’ return to the area.

Through Resolution 2450, the Security Council stressed the obligation onSyria and Israel to respect their 1974 ceasefire that set the buffer zoneand deployed a UN peacekeeping force known as UNDOF.

The Security Council further underscored no military activity should occurin the zone either by the Syrian government forces or the Syrian oppositiongroups.

For nearly four decades, UNDOF helped enforce the truce between Israel andSyria. But the seven-year Syrian war moved into the zone not only withintense fighting but the abduction of peacekeepers by militants, triggeringUNDOF to retreat to the Israeli side of the zone in 2014.

In August this year, the UN said it was implementing “a gradual return” ofits peacekeeping force to the zone after its security situation hadimproved.

In Friday’s resolution, the Security Council “called on all groups otherthan UNDOF to abandon all UNDOF positions, and return the peacekeepers’vehicles, weapons, and other equipment.”

It also welcomed UNDOF’s efforts to intensify its operations in theseparation area as well as the “cooperation of the parties” to facilitateits return.

It also renewed the mandate of UNDOF for a period of six months, until June30, 2019, and requests the secretary-general to ensure that the force hasthe required capacity and resources to fulfil its mandate in a safe andsecure way.