PRETORIA, Dec 11, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - The United Nations is fully committed to backing a peaceful transfer of power in Syria after the ousting of Bashar al-Assad, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said on Wednesday.

Guterres, in Pretoria as part of South Africa's presidency of the Group of 20 (G20) nations, said the world body was "totally committed to supporting a smooth transition of power".

"It's our duty to do everything to support the different Syrian leaders... to make sure that they come together and are able to guarantee a smooth transition and an inclusive transition in which all Syrians can feel that they belong," he added.

"The alternative doesn't make any sense," he said "Syria has enough divisions. It's time for unity and it's time for the re-establishment of its territorial integrity."

Guterres also responded to Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's statement that the Golan Heights, which Israel captured from Syria in 1967 and annexed in 1981, belonged to it "for eternity".

"The concept of eternity is a concept difficult to define," the secretary general said. "The Golan Heights are occupied by Israel but that occupation is not internationally recognised.

"And so, I would say that eternity would not solve the problem of the violations of the law."

Guterres said the toppling of the "Syrian dictatorship" was "a sign of hope" after 50 years of rule by the Assad family and nearly 13 years of civil war.