'After 14 years of suffering, the Syrian people now have a chance for peace and stability,' says UN envoy Ahmet Yildiz
Türkiye's UN envoy strongly condemned Israel's continued military attacks in Syria and called for international support for Syria's path toward peace and national reconciliation.
"After 14 years of suffering, the Syrian people now have a chance for peace and stability," Ahmet Yildiz said Thursday during a UN Security Council meeting.
"Despite many challenges, they have taken swift steps towards this goal. They have achieved remarkable progress in seven months," he added.
He said Syria's leadership has demonstrated "its commitment to an inclusive political transition and national reconciliation under Syrian ownership," engaging in dialogue with diverse groups in society.
"From the beginning, Türkiye has supported Syria's efforts for peace, recovery and reconstruction," said Yildiz, adding that "many countries have taken a similar approach. We are observing growing international alignment in this direction."
Criticizing Israel's actions against Syria, he said: "However, Israel has continued its attacks relentlessly since 8 December, seeking to obstruct Syria's path to stability."
"Israel's ongoing aggression directly undermines Syria's rebuilding efforts on the basis of social cohesion," he said, noting that Israeli "interventions and provocative statements threaten the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity."
"These attacks targeting Syria's Presidential Palace and Ministry of Defense have clearly demonstrated that Israel has no interest in the peace and stability of Syria or the region," Yildiz added.
Urging all member states to reject Israeli aggression, he warned that Israel's "attacks destabilize the region and increase civilian casualties and displacement."
"It is also concerning that the scale and geographic scope of these attacks have surpassed those previously directed at the fallen regime," he said.
He stressed the need to respect Syria's sovereignty and uphold the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement, concluding that "it is the duty of the international community to demonstrate that Syrians will not walk this path alone."
- Clashes in Suwayda, Israeli attacks
On July 13, small-scale clashes broke out between Bedouin Arab tribes and armed Druze groups in Suwayda.
Dozens of soldiers were killed in attacks by Druze groups against security forces deployed to the area.
After the clashes escalated, a ceasefire was reached between the parties.
The ceasefire was broken shortly thereafter, and the Israeli army carried out attacks targeting Syrian security forces.
On July 16, the Israeli air force struck the Syrian presidential compound, the General Staff Headquarters and the Defense Ministry in the capital, Damascus.
On the same day, a ceasefire was reestablished between the government and local groups in Suwayda, while Israeli warplanes carried out attacks on Damascus and Daraa.
Since the security forces have withdrawn from Suwayda, it is estimated that hundreds have been killed in the fighting and Israeli attacks.
