Egypt formally condemned Colombia on Tuesday for recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, a move Cairo described as a breach of international law and a threat to regional stability.

The rebuke came one day after Colombia's newly inaugurated President Abelardo de la Espriella announced the recognition, making his country only the second United Nations member state — after the United States in 2019 — to endorse Israel's claim to the strategic plateau.

Egypt's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that it "categorically" rejected the Colombian decision, calling it an infringement on Syria's "established and legitimate rights over the entirety of its territory."

"All measures and decisions aimed at entrenching the Israeli occupation or legitimizing the annexation of the Golan have no legal effect and do not alter its legal status," the ministry added.

Cairo stressed that Israel must withdraw from the Golan Heights, which it captured from Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War and unilaterally annexed in 1981. The UN Security Council declared that annexation "null and void" at the time, and the international community has since regarded the territory as occupied Syrian land.

The Egyptian government also warned that unilateral steps like Colombia's could "undermine the foundations of security, stability and peace in the region."

Colombia's Foreign Ministry announced the decision on Monday, citing "the strategic importance of the Golan Heights to Israel's security" and Israel's "right to protect itself against external threats" amid regional instability.

"The Government of Colombia recognizes Israeli sovereignty over this territory, as well as that State's right to protect itself against external threats," the ministry said in a statement.

De la Espriella, a US-backed hard-right politician, was sworn in on Friday, August 7, and moved swiftly to reverse the policies of his predecessor, Gustavo Petro, who had downgraded relations with Israel over the Gaza war. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar attended the inauguration and met de la Espriella in Barranquilla the day before he took office.

Syria also condemned the move on Tuesday, with Damascus saying the Golan is "an inseparable part of its territory" and vowing to "continue to use all legitimate diplomatic and legal means to defend its sovereignty." On Wednesday, Syria submitted a formal protest to UN Secretary-General António Guterres and the Security Council.

Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, Jordan, Iraq, and Oman joined Egypt in condemning the recognition, describing it as a violation of UN Security Council Resolution 497 of 1981.

The diplomatic clash unfolded as Colombia reeled from a magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck its western region on Monday, killing at least 132 people and injuring around 700, according to Colombian authorities. Despite the political dispute, Egypt extended condolences to the Colombian people earlier Tuesday, saying Cairo "sincerely" mourned the victims.