The Israel-Hamas war is spilling into Syria, fuelled by growing instability, violence and a lack of progress toward a political solution to its 12-year conflict, the United Nations special envoy for the country said Monday.
Geir Pedersen told the Security Council that, on top of violence from the Syrian conflict, the Syrian people now face 바카라a terrifying prospect of a potential wider escalation바카라 following Hamas' October 7 attacks on Israel and the ongoing retaliatory military action.
바카라Spillover into Syria is not just a risk; it has already begun,바카라 the U.N. envoy for Syria said.
Pedersen pointed to air strikes attributed to Israel hitting Syria's airports in Aleppo and Damascus several times, and retaliation by the United States against what it said were multiple attacks on its forces "by groups that it claims are backed by Iran, including on Syrian territory."
With the region 바카라at its most dangerous and tense,바카라 he said, 바카라fuel is being added to a tinderbox that was already beginning to ignite바카라 in Syria, which was seeing a surge in violence even before October 7.
Pedersen said the number of Syrians killed, injured and displaced is at its highest since 2020, citing a significant intensification of attacks in government-controlled areas, including an unclaimed attack on a graduation ceremony at a military academy in Homs, which the government attributes to terrorist organizations.
He also reported government rocket attacks throughout October on Hayat Tahrir al Sham 바카라 the insurgent group that rules much of rebel-held northwest Syria 바카라 as well as a major escalation of Turkish strikes in the northeast following an attack on Turkish government facilities in Ankara. The Turkish strikes have killed dozens, damaged health facilities, schools and camps, and displaced more than 120,000 civilians, he said.
U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield accused 바카라terrorist groups,바카라 some backed by Syria and Iran, of threatening to expand the Gaza conflict 바카라by using Syrian territory to plot and launch attacks against Israel.바카라 She also accused Syria of allowing Iran and terrorist groups to use its international airports for military purposes.
"We call on the regime to curb the activities of Iran-backed militias in Syria, stop the flow of foreign arms and fighters through its territory, and cease escalatory actions in the Golan Heights,바카라 she said.
바카라The United States has warned all actors not to take advantage of the situation in Gaza to widen or deepen the conflict,바카라 Thomas-Greenfield said. 바카라And we've made clear that we will respond to attacks on our own personnel and facilities in Syria or against U.S. interests, and where appropriate, exercise our right to self-defense forcefully, proportionately and in a manner that minimizes civilian harm.바카라
Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia of Russia, Syria's closest ally, accused Israeli forces of striking sites in Syria, including civilian airports, and called U.S. attacks in the country 바카라illegitimate actions바카라 and 바카라a gross violation of Syria's sovereignty.바카라 He also claimed U.S. economic interests and involvement 바카라in contraband with Syrian grain and oil바카라 have prevailed over political interests.
Nebenzia said there is a sharp increase in tensions around the Israel-Hamas conflict and attacks like the ones by the U.S. might provoke spillover to the entire region. 바카라This must not be deemed acceptable," he said.
Iran's U.N. Ambassador Amir Iravani refuted all U.S. claims, saying his country is in Syria at Damascus' request to fight terrorism. He accused Washington of attempting 바카라to shift the blame from the culprit to the victim.바카라
Iravani told the council the United States' 바카라unwavering support바카라 for Israel 바카라has rendered it part of the problem.바카라 He said the U.S. and some Western countries were attempting to give Israel an unjust right to self-defense while ignoring the Palestinian people's right to self-determination, and equating the Palestinian resistance with terrorism.
바카라Iran's primary objective is to avoid any escalation in the region,바카라 the ambassador stressed, which is why it has endorsed international calls for an immediate cease-fire and humanitarian aid for people in Gaza.
However, Iravani said Iran will respond to any threat, attack or aggression endangering its security.
