Merve Aydogan
18 July 2025•Update: 18 July 2025
HAMILTON, Canada
Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis called Thursday for an immediate de-escalation in Syria, expressing deep concern over reports of violence and sectarian incitement in Suwayda during a UN Security Council meeting.
"Today’s meeting comes at another critical moment for Syria," said Gerapetritis, condemning "all attacks perpetrated against civilians and religious sites in Suwayda."
"We are all particularly disturbed by the reports of the humiliating treatment of civilians, desecration and mutilation of corpses and sectarian incitement, as referred to with the statement of Special Envoy (Geir) Pedersen," he said.
He urged the Syrian government to ensure accountability and restore calm, and said: "Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity go hand in hand with the fundamental right of all Syrians, irrespective of religious and ethnic background, to live in peace without fear."
"Greece will continue its ongoing efforts to support the Syrian people and the UN in this endeavor for peace, stability and prosperity," Gerapetritis added.
Russia’s envoy to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, echoed the call for de-escalation and humanitarian access, warning of "open violations of humanitarian norms, which includes extrajudicial killings, acts of interreligious violence and forced displacement of civilians."
He criticized recent Israeli airstrikes in Syria, calling them "worrying" and said foreign players must not use Syria's fragile situation for geopolitical gain.
UK envoy Barbara Woodward said Britain is "deeply concerned by the escalating violence in Suwayda" and condemned attacks on medical facilities.
She also expressed alarm over "Israel’s escalatory strikes in Damascus," urging respect for Syria’s sovereignty.
"We look forward to seeing the Syrian government's report on the violence in the coastal areas in March. This is a crucial step towards justice and reconciliation for the Syrian people," she said.
Pakistan's envoy Asim Iftikhar Ahmad condemned the Israeli airstrikes in Suwayda, Daraa and Damascus, calling them "a grave and deliberate escalation" that violates international law.
He said Syria is undergoing "a delicate yet meaningful transition" and called on the global community to give the country space to recover.
"Against this backdrop, Israel's reckless attacks on Syrian state institutions are both counterproductive and irrational," he said, adding that "impunity must end."
"Israel's actions are not only unlawful but ultimately self-defeating, as they breed the very instability they claim to resist," Ahmad noted, expressing Pakistan's "full solidarity" with Syria.
Syria's UN envoy Qusay Al-Dahhak strongly condemned the Israeli aggression against his country, saying: “We affirm that such practices are merely an extension of the occupation’s systematic policies aimed at undermining Syria's stability and dragging it into conflict."
He accused Israel of directly targeting his country's efforts to "restore security and stability and to contain internal tensions through a national approach."
"Despite the gravity of the Israeli attacks, the Syrian leadership acted with utmost wisdom and responded to American, Arab and Turkish mediation efforts, whom we thank," he said, noting that the international efforts "helped prevent the region from sliding into an open confrontation."
