Israeli airstrikes on Syria are a violation of the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity and must stop, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Thursday, Reuters reported.

“Syria's sovereignty, territorial unity, and integrity must be fully restored, and all acts of aggression must end immediately,” Guterres told reporters.

Since Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was ousted by a lightning rebel offensive earlier this month, Israel has carried out hundreds of airstrikes that Tel Aviv says are aimed at destroying strategic weapons and military infrastructure.

“Let me be clear: there should be no armed forces other than UN peacekeepers in the disengagement zone, period. Israel and Syria must respect the terms of the 1974 Agreement on the Disengagement of Forces, which remains in full force and effect,” Guterres said.

He said the UN is focused on facilitating a “comprehensive, credible and peaceful” political transition in Syria and getting aid to fight one of the world's biggest humanitarian crises.

“This is a crucial moment - a moment of hope and history, but also a moment of great uncertainty,” he said.

Some players may try to exploit the situation for their own ends, Guterres said.

“But the international community has a duty to support the people of Syria, who have suffered so much. Syria's future must be determined by its people, for its people, with the support of all of us,” he added.