The UN special envoy for Syria, Geir Otto Pedersen, judged in Damascus on Sunday “extremely important” to end the wars in Lebanon and Gaza to prevent Syria from being drawn into a regional war.
“We must now ensure that we have an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, that we have a ceasefire in Lebanon and that we prevent Syria from being drawn even further into the conflict,” he said. he declared before a meeting with the Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bassam al-Sabbagh.
Since the civil war broke out in Syria in 2011, Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes in the neighboring country, mainly targeting the army and Iranian-backed groups, including Lebanese Hezbollah which supports President Bashar al- Assad.
The Israeli army has intensified its strikes in Syria since it entered open war in September against Hezbollah after a year of hostilities with this movement on the Israeli-Lebanese border.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (OSDH) said Friday that Israeli strikes on the city of Palmyra earlier this week killed 92 pro-Iranian fighters.
Israel rarely comments on its strikes in Syria, but has repeatedly said it will not allow its archenemy Iran to expand its presence there.
