NEW YORK: The UN Security Council failed to find a consensus on prolonging cross-border humanitarian aid to Syria on Friday after Russia and China vetoed an extension and members rejected a counter proposal by Moscow.
Without an agreement, authorization for the transport of aid to war-torn Syria, which has existed since 2014, expired Friday night.
Germany and Belgium were working on a final initiative to save the effort, with hopes of bringing it to a vote this weekend.
“We are ready to work round the clock, and call on others to think of the millions of people in Syria waiting for the Security Council to decide their fate,” said German Ambassador Christoph Heusgen, who holds the rotating presidency of the Security Council this month.
After Moscow and Beijing wielded vetoes for a second time this week, only three countries joined Russia in backing its proposal to cut the number of aid transit points from two to one.
China supported Russia, but seven countries including the United States, Britain, France, Germany and Belgium voted against, with four abstentions.
An attempt by Russia to pass a similar resolution also failed earlier this week.
The NGO Oxfam had warned that stopping cross-border aid would be “a devastating blow to the millions of Syrian families who rely on this aid for clean water, food, health care and shelter.”
Thirteen countries voted in favor of an earlier German-Belgian draft, but Moscow and Beijing opposed the extension because they favor a more limited proposal.
European countries and the US want to maintain two crossing points on the Turkish border — at Bab Al-Salam, which leads to the Aleppo region, and Bab Al-Hawa, which serves the Idlib region.
The UN authorization allows the body to distribute aid to displaced Syrians without needing permission from Damascus.
Russia and China argue that the UN authorization violates Syria’s sovereignty, and that aid can increasingly be channeled through Syrian authorities.
The latest proposal by Russia, which claims to want continued aid for the insurgent Idlib region, would have kept only the Bab Al-Hawa access point open, and for one year.
Moscow claims that more than 85 percent of current aid goes through Bab Al-Hawa and that the Bab Al-Salam entry point can therefore be closed.
Western countries oppose it, with the US having described two entry points as “a red line.”
In January, Moscow, Syria’s closest ally, succeeded in having the crossing points reduced from four to two and in limiting the authorization to six months instead of a year.
According to Washington’s ambassador to the UN, Kelly Craft, keeping only one border crossing open would cut off 1.3 million people living north of Aleppo from humanitarian aid.
Another diplomat noted that “if the authorization is renewed a few days late, it is not the absolute end of the world. It suspends the convoys for a few days, it does not put them in danger.”
For the UN, keeping as many entry points open as possible is crucial, particularly given the risk of the coronavirus pandemic, which is spreading in the region.
In a report in June, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for a one-year extension of the aid to include the two current access points.
When asked Thursday if the UN would be satisfied with a single entry point into Syria, body spokesman Stephane Dujarric said: “We need more aid to go through the border. We do not need less to go through.”
David Miliband, president of the International Rescue Committee, called it a “dark day” for Syrian civilians and the UN.
He added it “defies logic or humanity to dismantle a system designed to bring life-saving aid to Syrians in the form of food, health supplies, vaccines, and now critical COVID-19 provisions.”
UN fails to find consensus after Russia, China veto on Syrian aid
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UN fails to find consensus after Russia, China veto on Syrian aid
- Russia and China argue that the UN authorization violates Syria’s sovereignty, and that aid can increasingly be channeled through Syrian authorities
Syria’s new UN envoy vows to turn ‘Hope into Action’ in first address to Security Council
- New Damascus roadmap aims to rebuild trust and stability after years of conflict
- Government commits to elections, accountability, and international cooperation
- “We need a quantum leap in international engagement to meet the scale of our challenges,” Olabi said.
NEW YORK: Syria’s new Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ibrahim Olabi, pledged to “turn hope into action” in a landmark address to the Security Council on Thursday, signaling what he described as a historic shift in the country’s approach to diplomacy, accountability, and national reconciliation following the collapse of the previous regime.
Delivering his first remarks since assuming the post on September 11, the 34-year-old British-German lawyer and human rights advocate acknowledged international calls for justice and reform, vowing that Syria would “add to hope, action,” and work to restore unity and stability in a country ravaged by over a decade of war.
“Less than a year ago, a young Syrian woman sat at this very table speaking out against tyranny. Today, I stand before you as a representative of a new Syria — a Syria committed to freedom, dignity, and justice,” Olabi said.
Much of Olabi’s statement focused on recent unrest in Suwayda, a southern governorate that has seen mass protests and violent crackdowns in recent months.
He told council members that the Syrian government had adopted a comprehensive roadmap for resolving the crisis, developed during a tripartite meeting in Damascus with the United States and Jordan.
The plan includes an official request for an investigation by the UN’s Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria and a commitment to hold accountable all perpetrators of violence, regardless of affiliation. Olabi noted that suspects from the Ministry of Defense and Interior had already been arrested and that the government had taken “unprecedented steps” to cooperate with international investigators.
“The families of the victims should feel that justice was truly served,” he said, promising that the process would be inclusive and transparent.
The roadmap, according to Olabi, also envisions the creation of a local police force representative of Suwayda’s diverse population, reconstruction of destroyed areas, delivery of humanitarian assistance, and a campaign to promote national unity and counter extremism.
Olabi outlined what he called a “new political reality” in Syria, following the “liberation of the country from oppression” and the preservation of state institutions. He announced that Syria would soon hold the first elections “in decades” based on a genuine separation of powers.
“These elections will be a genuine opportunity for all Syrian men and women to participate in drafting the future of the country,” he said, promising a minimum 20% representation for women on candidate lists and allowing international observers to monitor the vote.
Olabi said the electoral process would be carried out under judicial and media supervision, with oversight agreements already signed between the High Electoral Commission and civil society organizations.
In addition to political reforms, Olabi emphasized Syria’s efforts to revive its economy through agreements with foreign governments and international companies. He pointed to global partnerships and community-led initiatives from the Syrian diaspora aimed at supporting the country’s recovery.
However, he lamented what he called the international community’s “insufficient” support at both the humanitarian and developmental levels. He urged member states to fulfill their pledges to the UN’s humanitarian response plan and warned that Syria is facing its worst drought in three decades, threatening food and water security.
“We need a quantum leap in international engagement to meet the scale of our challenges,” he said.
Olabi also condemned recent Israeli airstrikes in Syria and called on the Security Council to take urgent action. He accused Israel of expanding its operations in Syrian territory, particularly in the occupied Golan Heights, and cited relevant UN resolutions demanding Israeli withdrawal.
Olabi concluded his remarks with a sweeping vision for Syria’s future, one centered on inclusivity, sovereignty, and civil peace.
“Damascus, the heart of Syria, will continue to bring together all Syrian men and women,” he said. “They stand today united, looking towards the future, rejecting terrorism, hate speech, and extremism — turning the page on suffering and pain.”
WHO chief says Gaza hospitals on ‘brink of collapse’
- edros Adhanom Ghebreyesus: Military incursion and evacuation orders are driving new waves of displacement
GENEVA: The World Health Organization chief warned on Thursday that Israel’s ground offensive in northern Gaza had left already overwhelmed hospitals on the “brink of collapse” and demanded an “end to these inhumane conditions.”
“The military incursion and evacuation orders in northern Gaza are driving new waves of displacement, forcing traumatized families into an ever-shrinking area unfit for human dignity,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X, warning that “hospitals, already overwhelmed, are on the brink of collapse as escalating violence blocks access and prevents WHO from delivering lifesaving supplies.”
Gaza City’s Al-Shifa Hospital said it had received the bodies of 20 people killed in Israeli strikes since midnight.
More than 60 people had been killed by Israeli fire on Wednesday, according to Gaza’s civil defense agency.
Also on Thursday, Spain said it will probe “human rights violations in Gaza” to assist the International Criminal Court, which has sought arrest warrants for top Israeli officials over alleged war crimes.
The announcement marks another step by Spain, a virulent critic of the devastating Israeli offensive in the Palestinian territory, to lead international action over the conflict.
Spain’s top prosecutor, Alvaro Garcia Ortiz, has “issued a decree to create a working team tasked with investigating violations of international human rights law in Gaza,” his office said in a statement.
The investigative team’s mission will be to “gather evidence and make it available to the competent body, thereby fulfilling Spain’s obligations regarding international cooperation and human rights,” it said.
“Faced with the current situation in the Palestinian territories, all evidence, direct or indirect, that can be gathered in our country” on “crimes committed” in Gaza “must be included” for potential use in the ICC case, it added in the decree.
The statement mentioned a Spanish police report which reřcorded “acts that could constitute crimes against the international community” perpetrated by the Israeli army in Gaza.
The ICC has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Israel’s campaign in Gaza.
Spain has also joined a case before another world court, 4the International Court of Justice, accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza.
Syrian authorities capture 2020 car bomber near Aleppo
- At least five people killed and 85 injured in the explosion in Saajo town in July 2020
- Hussein Hajj Mowas was trying to escape, disguised in female attire, when authorities arrested him on Thursday
LONDON: Syrian authorities have arrested a suspect linked to a 2020 car bomb attack in the town of Saajo, near Azaz in northern Syria, which killed five and injured dozens of people.
The Internal Security Command in Aleppo announced the capture of Hussein Hajj Mowas, from the village of Marran in Aleppo countryside. Officials said he was disguised in female attire in an attempt to escape when he was detained on Thursday.
According to the Ministry of Interior, Mowas carried out the bombing in exchange for money and used his job as a delivery truck driver to smuggle weapons and banned materials.
The July 2020 explosion in Saajo killed at least five people and wounded 85 others.
Since the fall of the Bashar Assad regime last December, the new government in Damascus has arrested several suspects and criminals, including army officers, over crimes committed during the country’s civil conflict.
Turkish and Palestinian presidents discuss international recognition of Palestinian statehood at UN
- Regional security and stability depend on ending the war in Gaza, and halting forced displacements and land grabs, says Mahmoud Abbas
- Under joint sponsorship of Saudi Arabia and France, several major countries have stated intention to recognize Palestinian statehood during UN General Assembly next week
LONDON: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday discussed with his Palestinian counterpart, Mahmoud Abbas, preparations for the UN General Assembly in New York next week, during which several countries have pledged to officially recognize the State of Palestine.
Their meeting, at the presidential palace in Ankara, focused on efforts to end Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza that began almost two years ago, the latest developments in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, and the pursuit of a two-state solution to resolve the wider conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.
Under the joint sponsorship of Saudi Arabia and France, several major countries and international powers have stated their intention to officially recognize Palestinian statehood during the UN General Assembly, including France, the UK, Canada, Australia and Belgium.
Abbas said that regional security and stability depend on ending the war in Gaza, halting the forced displacement of Palestinians and land grabs by Israel, and ending the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories through the establishment of a Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, the Palestinian Wafa news agency reported.
Abbas and Erdogan also discussed Palestine’s strong historical ties with Turkiye, which ruled the Mediterranean region for nearly four centuries through its Ottoman Empire until the British and French mandates for the region during the First World War.
Abbas arrived in Turkiye on Wednesday for a three-day official visit.
Israel resumes attacks on Hezbollah’s strongholds south, north of Litani River
- Nawaf Salam: ‘How is it possible that Israel continues to practice intimidation and attacks?’
- Lebanese Army Command said that it had recorded ‘more than 4,500 violations of Lebanese sovereignty by land, air, and sea since the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement came into effect’
BEIRUT: The Israeli military launched a series of airstrikes on Thursday evening targeting areas south and north of the Litani River, after issuing urgent warnings for residents to stay away from six designated locations.
This tactic mirrors the approach followed during the Israeli war on Hezbollah that began in October 2023 and which ended with a ceasefire agreement that took effect on Nov. 27, 2024.
The airstrikes hit sites around the town of Dibbin and three locations in Mays Al-Jabal, with initial reports indicating that a Syrian national was injured in the raids. A house in Kfar Tibnit was also targeted.
A second wave of raids struck areas in the Tyre district, specifically Burj Qalaya and Al-Shahabiya.
“The timing of the attacks is striking, as it coincides with Hezbollah’s preparations to commemorate the first anniversary of the assassinations of its two Secretary-Generals Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine,” a Lebanese security source told Arab News. “This is an attempt to remind the party that Israel continues to pursue it.”
The source expected Israeli attacks to escalate until the first anniversary of Nasrallah’s death on Sept. 27.
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam was informed of the Israeli threats and subsequently of the attacks during a Cabinet session, and said: “The Lebanese government’s position is commitment to the cessation of hostilities and the government’s engagement in the mechanism’s meetings.”
Salam said during the session: “The legitimate question today is: Where is Israel’s commitment to these mechanisms?
“How can it be possible to continue to practice intimidation and attacks while these meetings are supposed to ensure the full implementation of Resolution 1701 and the cessation of hostilities?”
The Cabinet called on the international community — especially the signatories of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement — to apply maximum pressure on Israel to immediately halt its attacks and return to diplomatic negotiations. Under the terms of the mechanism and the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement, Israel committed to several obligations, including withdrawing from the Lebanese territories it still occupies, ceasing all attacks, and releasing prisoners.
The Israeli military confirmed the attacks on Lebanon in a statement, claiming that it struck “military targets belonging to Hezbollah.”
Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee claimed in a video posted on social media that the attacks were “in response to Hezbollah’s prohibited attempts to rebuild its activities in the area.”
Adraee addressed the residents of the targeted areas before the strikes, saying: “You are located in buildings used by the terrorist Hezbollah. For your own safety, you are obliged to evacuate these buildings and adjacent buildings immediately and move at least 500 meters away from them. Remaining in these buildings exposes you to danger.”
The Kfar Tibnit-Nabatieh Al-Fawqa road experienced heavy traffic toward the city of Nabatieh and neighboring towns due to the displacement of threatened residents. The road leading to Kfar Tibnit was closed for public safety.
The Israeli military also targeted the Baalbek area on Wednesday night with airstrikes that killed Hussein Saifo Sharif and wounded several other people. The Israeli army claimed that Sharif was “a major arms dealer and supplier operating from Lebanon to direct cells inside Syria planning to carry out plots against Israel.” It added: “His activities constitute a violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon.”
The Lebanese Army Command said it had recorded “more than 4,500 violations of Lebanese sovereignty by land, air, and sea since the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement came into effect … including the launching of Molotov cocktails and the bombing of homes.”
It explained that Thursday’s attacks “on southern villages and civilians in populated areas resulted in deaths and injuries,” and warned that “these attacks and violations hinder the army’s deployment in the south, and their continuation will hinder the implementation of its plan, starting from the area south of the Litani River.”
It added: “The Army Command is monitoring these violations in coordination with the Cessation of Hostilities Monitoring Committee and UNIFIL forces.”
The body revealed that, as part of “monitoring engineering survey operations in the southern regions, a specialized military unit found and dismantled a camouflaged spy device that the Israeli enemy had placed in the Labbouneh-Tyre area.”
