UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, stated that the war-torn country entered a new “extremely fluid and dangerous” phase as armed groups continued to seize territories.
Pedersen said rebel forces now controlled territory that was home to about 7 million people. Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) militants are advancing northwest, capturing the key regional centre of Aleppo and pushing towards Hama.
Syrian government forces have since regrouped and established defensive lines in Hama, repelling some fighters. But as I speak to you this afternoon, these are being severely tested, with HTS and armed opposition groups gaining ground today, advancing very close to Hama – a major city of some 1 million people.
Government airstrikes in the region intensified, hitting civilian and military targets and causing casualties among Syrians. The HTS and other armed groups also carried out rocket and drone strikes.
We must de-escalate and ensure a cooperative approach to countering listed terrorist groups. But – and this is my second core message – de-escalation needs to be accompanied by a credible political horizon for the Syrian people.
On 27 November, clashes erupted between Government forces and armed rebels in western Aleppo, northern Syria. Robert Wood, the US representative at the council’s meeting, categorically denied any American involvement in the ongoing hostilities.
The UN General Assembly also passed a resolution on Tuesday demanding “once more” Israel’s withdrawal from Syria-occupied Golan Heights to the 1967 borders in accordance with Security Council resolutions. The document, which reiterated the intolerability of acquiring territory by force, was passed with 97 votes in favour, eight against and 64 abstentions.
The continued occupation of the Syrian Golan and its de facto annexation constitute a stumbling block in the way of achieving a just, comprehensive and lasting peace in the region.
Amid a growing rebel offensive, the Syrian government led by Bashar al-Assad started detaining people aged 15-47 in the Eastern Ghouta neighbourhood of Damascus, citing their potential ability to bear arms, according to local media. Many young people in the region are reportedly trying to flee to avoid arrest.
Syria’s civil war has been ongoing since 2011. Over the past week, anti-government forces seized control of Aleppo and other regions in a surprise offensive.
