Syria urges UNSC to adopt firm, immediate action against Israeli attacks

The Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, in a statement released on Thursday, said the Israeli missile attack near the Syrian capital city of Damascus at the dawn was in flagrant violation of the UN Charter, principles of the international law, and relevant Security Council resolutions, which all demand respect for Syria’s sovereignty.

“The Israeli act of aggression comes at the time when the world is celebrating Easter, which carries the message of love and peace. Israel, however, has proven though its incessant attacks on the Syrian soil that it does not believe in peace but rather in the law of the jungle,” the statement read.

The Syrian ministry added that Israeli officials tend to pride themselves on such acts of aggression in order to cover up their moral and political crises, highlighting that the authorities’ persistence on the attacks comes under the aegis of Washington’s unlimited and continuous support

The statement went on to say that Israeli officials support terrorist groups wreaking havoc across Syria, and prevent Syrian government forces and their allies from crushing Daesh, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and other militant outfits.

The Syrian foreign ministry then criticized what it described as frenzied Western campaign to stifle the Arab nation economically by means of sanctions and restrictions on access to food, medical and fuel supplies.

“Israeli attacks [on Syria] would have been impossible without the US administrations’ generous support and a shield against accountability provided by certain Security Council member states. This confirms that the United States, in the wake of its aggressive policies against Syria, the region and the world, has neither legal nor moral reason to be tasked with maintaining international peace and security…,” the statement pointed out.

The Syrian foreign ministry then called on the Security Council to assume its responsibilities within the framework of the UN Charter, the most important of which is the maintenance of international peace and security, to take firm and immediate measures to prevent the recurrence of Israeli attacks on Syria.

It also urged the Council to hold Israeli authorities to account for their crimes against the Syrian and Palestinian nations, and their continued support for terrorist groups – all of which constitute blatant violations of the international law, Security Council Resolutions 242, 338, 350 and 497, as well as all international resolutions on combating terrorism.

Syria has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011. The Syrian government says the Israeli regime and its Western and regional allies are aiding Takfiri terrorist groups wreaking havoc in the country.

Syrian government troops and their allies have managed to retake roughly 80 percent of the war-ravaged Arab country’s territory from the Takfiri terrorists.

The Syrian army is fighting to drive out remaining militants, but the presence of US and European forces in addition to Turkish troops has slowed down its advances.

A new report by a humanitarian aid group has revealed that the economic cost of the ongoing foreign-sponsored conflict in Syria after 10 years is estimated to be at over USD 1.2 trillion, besides the loss of thousands of civilian lives and displacement of millions of people.

The ‘Too high a price to pay: the cost of conflict for Syria’s children’ report launched by California-based World Vision International in partnership with Frontier Economics says even if the war ended today, the cost will continue to accumulate to the tune of an additional $1.4 trillion in today’s money through to 2035.

The group also said the life expectancy of Syrian children has been reduced by 13 years.