Residents of central Gaza await distribution of flour. Top news of the day | Monday: Syria, Lebanon, Ukraine, Gaza UN
Top news of the day in the UN and the world: change of power in Syria, strikes in southern Lebanon, damage to infrastructure in the frontline regions of Ukraine, shelling near a hospital in Gaza.
Situation in Syria
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said he hoped the historic change of power in Syria over the weekend would provide an opportunity to “build a future based on human rights, freedom and justice.” Türk welcomed the initial statements by the new de facto authorities in Damascus “with caution,” stressing the need for “inclusive dialogue” with Syrian civil society and for the international community to “remain vigilant” to ensure that such a process takes place. The dialogue should include women, youth and “all segments of Syrian society without exception,” the High Commissioner told reporters in Geneva. The UN Secretary-General called for dialogue on Sunday.
Fighting in Lebanon
According to a briefing from the UN press service, the organization’s peacekeeping mission in Lebanon reported strikes by the Israel Defense Forces in southern Lebanon over the weekend. There are also reports that Israel carried out strikes along the Lebanese-Syrian border. The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) again calls on all parties to refrain from violence. The mission also reports that a new monitoring mechanism provided for under the cessation of hostilities met in Lebanon for the first time today. UNIFIL and the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon will support the work of this mechanism within the mandate of Security Council resolution 1701.
Frontline areas of Ukraine
UN humanitarian agencies report that in recent days, dozens of civilians, including children, have been killed or wounded as a result of fighting in the frontline areas of Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhia regions of Ukraine. Damage to residential buildings and civilian infrastructure, including schools and gas pipelines, is also reported, worsening the situation of Ukrainians in winter conditions. Humanitarian workers are providing victims with hot meals, psychosocial support, and materials for home repairs. Due to interruptions in water and heat supplies in the frontline areas, humanitarian organizations emphasize the need for urgent repairs and increased support for the population in the cold.
Shocks in Gaza
According to the UN press service, citing the organization’s agencies on the ground, Israeli forces are striking Beit Lahia and Jabalia in northern Gaza. On Friday, 33 people were killed near the Kamal Adwan hospital. An international medical team that arrived there a week ago was forced to evacuate. The World Health Organization is renewing its call for the protection of medical facilities. Meanwhile, humanitarian agencies are not receiving the necessary permission to visit northern Gaza, where residents are in dire need of water and food. In the south of the strip, 80,000 people have returned to dilapidated homes. The UN warns of the risk of war-damaged housing collapsing, especially in winter weather.