UN warns of escalating violence in Syria threatening political transition
DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – U.N. Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia, and the Pacific, Khaled Khiari, warned on Thursday that Syria is entering another dangerous cycle of violence that risks derailing efforts toward a peaceful, credible, orderly, and inclusive political transition.
Speaking during an emergency U.N. Security Council session convened at Syria’s request — and backed by Algeria and Somalia — in the wake of intensified Israeli airstrikes on Syrian territory, Khiari expressed deep concern over recent developments.
He highlighted the sharp escalation of violence in Suwayda Governorate, where mutual abductions between local Druze militias and Bedouin tribes devolved into armed clashes.
The Syrian transitional government responded by deploying security forces, leading to hundreds of casualties among civilians and combatants.
According to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the humanitarian situation is rapidly deteriorating due to mass displacement and damage to critical infrastructure.
Khiari emphasized the urgent need to protect civilians, guarantee their freedom of movement, and ensure access to humanitarian aid.
He also condemned the intensified Israeli airstrikes in Suwayda, Daraa, and Damascus, which Tel Aviv has justified as efforts to protect the Druze community.
Khiari stressed that such actions violate Syria’s sovereignty and undermine peacebuilding efforts, calling on all parties to abide by the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement.