The Israel-Syria Quneitra border crossing, which was briefly seized by Syrian rebels Thursday, prompting Austria to pulls its peacekeepers there. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

Jerusalem Post – UNITED NATIONS/MOSCOW – The United Nations on Friday said it could not accept Russia’s offer to replace peacekeepers from Austria in the Golan Heights because an agreement between Israel and Syria bars permanent members of the Security Council from the UN observer mission.

The United Nations expressed appreciation for the Russian offer, made on Friday by President Vladimir Putin afterAustria said it would recall its troops from a UN monitoring force due to worsening fighting in Syria.

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