Pakistan condemns Israel's ongoing military actions against Syria
Israel has ramped up airstrikes over the past week against military and strategic sites in Damascus and southern Syria.
According to Syrian and regional monitoring groups, these strikes have resulted in civilian casualties and extensive infrastructure damage. The intensifying campaign has prompted rebukes from Syria's government and other UN Security Council members.
'Pakistan's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad called for the immediate cessation of all violations of Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity,' Radio Pakistan reported after he addressed a national statement during the UN Security Council briefing on the situation in Syria,
Violence in Syria pitting the Islamist-led government against members of the Druze community has put a spotlight on the small but influential minority.
Straddling Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, the Druze occupy a special niche in the region's complex politics.
Israel has cited protecting the Druze as a reason for attacking Syrian government forces this week.
Ahmad described the strikes as 'repeated violations' that 'must be unequivocally condemned,' warning that they threatened regional peace .
Israel bombed Syria frequently when President Bashar Assad was in power, seeking to roll back the influence established by Iran and Iran-backed groups that were deployed there to help him fight rebels.
Israel has painted the new Syrian government as a jihadist threat, saying it won't allow it to deploy forces into southern Syria. Israel has said it wants to avoid any hostile build-up at its border, whilst also vowing to protect the Druze minority.
Israeli troops have also seized Syrian territory adjoining the occupied Golan Heights since December.
Syria's interim President Ahmed Al-Sharaa on Thursday said Israel was promoting division among Syrians, accusing it of seeking to 'dismantle the unity of our people,' saying it had 'consistently targeted our stability and created discord among us since the fall of the former regime' in December.
With inputs from Reuters
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Arabiya
39 minutes ago
- Al Arabiya
Syria to sign 44 agreements worth nearly $6 billion with Saudi Arabia
Syrian Information Minister Hamza al-Mustafa announced on Wednesday that Syria is set to sign 44 agreements with Saudi Arabia, with a total estimated value of around $6 billion. His remarks came during a press conference held on the sidelines of the Syrian-Saudi Investment Forum in Damascus. The event is being attended by a high-level Saudi business delegation. Al-Mustafa said the agreements signed at the forum are expected to create 50,000 jobs. Earlier on Wednesday, a senior Saudi delegation led by Investment Minister Khalid bin Abdulaziz al-Falih arrived in Damascus to take part in the Syrian-Saudi Investment Forum, which was launched under the direction of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as part of efforts to help Syria rebuild. According to the Syrian state news agency, the delegation includes over 130 Saudi businessmen and investors. The forum aims to explore joint cooperation opportunities and discuss the signing of strategic agreements that support sustainable development and strengthen mutual economic interests between Saudi Arabia and Syria – a move that could mark a significant turning point in their bilateral relations. Speaking to Al Arabiya, Saudi Investment Minister al-Falih said Riyadh sees long-term potential in Syria and is committed to investing through its capital and major companies. He described Syria's investment climate as 'very attractive' and emphasized the Kingdom's desire to play an active role in the country's reconstruction and development phase. Al-Falih added that some Saudi companies have already begun building factories inside Syria, and that a large number of new investment projects will be announced on Thursday, reflecting the Kingdom's commitment to supporting Syria's economic recovery. He highlighted Syria's human capital, natural resources, and strategic location, and noted that the Syrian government is increasingly relying on the private sector to drive reconstruction, opening up major opportunities for Saudi investors. Al-Falih also stressed that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is personally invested in supporting Syria's path to rebuilding and prosperity. This initiative, he said, is part of Saudi Arabia's broader vision to promote regional stability through economic cooperation and shared development.
Arab News
3 hours ago
- Arab News
Pakistan backs ‘inclusive' political process in Syria, ceasefire in Gaza at Security Council debate
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar on Wednesday backed an 'inclusive' political process to stabilize a Syria rocked by clashes and demanded an unconditional ceasefire in Gaza, as he spoke at a United Nations Security Council debate on the evolving Middle East situation. Syria has been rocked by violent clashes between the Druze minority and Bedouin clans that broke out on July 13, killing over 250 people as per media reports and threatening to disrupt the country's post-war transition. The violence also displaced 128,571 people, according to the United Nations International Organization for Migration. Israel carried out a series of attacks on government targets in Syria in support of the Druze clan last week, including a strike on a tank convoy and the shelling of the Defense Ministry in Damascus. Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa ordered a fragile ceasefire between Bedouin and Druze groups last Saturday. Dar, who is in New York to participate in events being held under Pakistan's presidency of the UN Security Council, spoke at an open debate titled, 'The Situation in the Middle East and the Question of Palestine.' 'Pakistan supports the stabilization of Syria through an inclusive political process,' the deputy prime minister, who also serves as Pakistan's foreign minister, said. 'Syria's unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity must be upheld.' He called on Israel to immediately withdraw from the separation zone established under the 1974 Disengagement Agreement and vacate the Syrian Golan Heights as per the UN Security Council's resolutions. 'GRAVEYARD FOR INNOCENT LIVES' The Pakistani deputy prime minister criticized Israel for its military operations in Gaza, saying that the world was witnessing the 'collapse of humanity' through Tel Aviv's actions. 'Gaza has become a graveyard for innocent lives as well as for international law, particularly international humanitarian law,' he said, noting that over 58,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's war since October 2023. He urged the UN Security Council to pursue with unity and urgency an 'immediate, permanent, and unconditional ceasefire' in Gaza. Dar also called for unfettered, sustained and secure access to humanitarian relief items for all civilians and the protection of aid workers, medical teams and UN personnel there. 'Immediate steps should be taken to ensure the delivery of life-saving food and medical assistance, restore humanitarian supply lines, and prevent famine conditions from taking hold,' he said. Pakistan has consistently called for an independent Palestinian state in the Middle East with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital based on the pre-1967 border.
Asharq Al-Awsat
4 hours ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
High-Level Saudi Delegation Arrives in Syria to Strengthen Ties, Explore Investments
In line with the directives of Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, the Ministry of Investment, in coordination with the Federation of Saudi Chambers of Commerce, kicked off a high-level working visit to Syria on Wednesday. The visit aims to strengthen and advance the fraternal bonds and historical ties between Saudi Arabia and Syria, and support Syria's economic recovery and development. The Saudi delegation, comprising senior officials from both the public and private sectors, aims to explore promising investment opportunities, facilitate bilateral cooperation, and address challenges facing investors to deepen economic ties and support companies from both countries. The Ministry of Investment is seeking to empower the Saudi private sector to contribute to Syria's reconstruction and development by identifying interested companies and organizing a series of introductory workshops. On the sidelines of the visit, the Saudi-Syrian Investment Forum will be held in Damascus, where several joint projects, investment agreements, and memoranda of understanding will be announced, underscoring the Kingdom's commitment to building a sustainable and strategic economic partnership with Syria.
