UN 'deeply concerned' about potential wider escalation in Syria amid Gaza war

WASHINGTON

The UN voiced concern Tuesday about the prospect of a potential wider escalation in Syria amid the war in Gaza.

"We remain deeply concerned about the prospect of a potentially wider escalation in Syria. The effects of the tragic developments in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel continue to be felt inside Syria," UN Deputy Special Envoy for Syria, Najat Rochdi, said at a UN Security Council meeting, where she stressed the urgent need for de-escalation in Syria and across the region.

"Just this weekend, Israeli airstrikes once again hit Damascus airport, once again temporarily halting the UN’s Humanitarian Air Service which operates from this airport and services Syria’s humanitarian programs," she said.

Noting that targeting civilian infrastructure is prohibited under international law, she said the strikes came after several other airstrikes, attributed to Israel, on other locations across Syria -- Al Qunaitra, Deraa, Damascus, Sweida and Homs -- with Israeli artillery fire reported into southern Syria.

"These airstrikes have coincided with reports of rocket and missile launches from southern Syria over the Occupied Syrian Golan towards Israel," she said.

Reports of attacks on US forces in northeast Syria also continue, she said. "We hear from all concerned parties a clear message that they do not seek escalation."

"But this is simply not enough. Violence continues in Syria, including spillover from Gaza and Israel. To continue such violence is to play with fire," she said.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Director of Operations and Advocacy, Eedem Wosornu, told the Council that the situation in Syria "remains dire" and the people of Syria "have suffered more than enough."

"Continued fighting and the displacement of tens of thousands of people have deepened humanitarian needs and compounded the suffering of civilians as they trudge into yet another winter under this conflict," she said,

"Yet this winter, humanitarians are being asked to prioritize one vulnerable life over another. We are being forced to cut critical assistance programs when there is little chance for the restoration of regular services," she said, noting the "stark reality" of the current situation.

"What we need is urgent donor support to save lives and stem a further, catastrophic, deterioration in the humanitarian situation," she said. "We need sustained humanitarian access through all modalities."