Recap for December 13th
- A series of explosions have been heard in Damascus, an Al Jazeera correspondent reports, as Israel conducts renewed strikes on “strategic areas” across Syria, particularly in and around the capital.
- The Arab League has issued a resolution condemning Israel’s seizure of a buffer zone in the occupied Golan Heights, adding that Arab countries have approached the UN Security Council to hold a session on Israel’s actions against Syria since al-Assad’s fall.
- Jordan is set to host a summit to coordinate a response to the situation in Syria – including humanitarian relief, security, and democratic rule – attended by Arab diplomats, as well as representatives from Turkiye, the US, the EU and the UN.
- Russia appears to be packing up equipment at a military base in Syria, according to satellite imagery, after Moscow announced it had initiated contact with the rebels about maintaining its presence in the country.
- Turkiye Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan says he urged Russia and Iran not to intervene to support al-Assad’s forces as the opposition mounted its lightning advance last week.
Syria’s UN ambassador deplores Israel’s ‘aggression’ in letter to Security Council
Syria’s ambassador to the United Nations is a holdover from the al-Assad regime. Damascus asked him to stay on in his current position and continue his work and that’s exactly what he is doing, representing the new administration in Syria and the Syrian people more broadly.
Earlier this week, the ambassador sent a letter to the UN Security Council – which we have obtained – deploring Israel’s aggression and breaches of Syria’s sovereignty, particularly the bombing of military sites as well as violations of the 1974 disengagement agreement overseen by the UN Disengagement Observer Force.
”At a time when the Syrian Arab Republic is witnessing a new phase in its history in which its people aspire to establish a state of freedom, equality and the rule of law and to achieve their hopes for prosperity and stability, the Israeli occupation army has penetrated additional areas of Syrian territory in Mount Hermon and Quneitra Governorate,” al-Dahhak wrote.
Al-Dahhak, an al-Assad regime appointee, said he was acting ”on instructions from my government” in making the demands, in what appears to be the first letter sent from Syria’s new interim government to the UN.
On Friday, the UN secretary-general’s spokesperson commented about exactly that. The letter from Syria’s ambassador calls on the UNSC to do whatever it can to compel Israel to stop all of its attacks, as well as withdraw from areas – immediately – that Israel has occupied over the past few days.
On Tuesday, the UNSC will meet to discuss Syria’s political and humanitarian situation.
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