Iran, Russia, and Turkey, the guarantors of the Astana peace process aimed at ending Syria’s conflict, have spoken out against Israel’s use of civilian planes to cover up its strikes on the Arab country.
The guarantor states criticized Israel’s continuous bombings on Syria in a joint statement issued at the 17th meeting of the Astana process, emphasizing that the assaults pose a threat to the region’s peace and security. They demanded an end to the hostility.
They also stressed that “Israel’s use of civilian aircraft to cover up its aggression on the Syrian territories is a flagrant violation of the international law and endangers the lives of the civilian population,” Lebanon’s al-Mayadeen television network reported.
Syria and Israel are technically at war because of Israel’s occupation of Syria’s Golan Heights, which began in 1967 and continues to this day. The Israeli authority maintains a large military presence in the area, which it utilizes as a launchpad for operations on Syrian soil.
After 2011, when Syria was engulfed in a wave of foreign-backed militancy and terrorism, the attacks grew considerably in scope and regularity.
Tel Aviv maintains that its attacks are aimed at supposed supplies bound for Hezbollah, the Lebanese resistance movement. Strikes have, in numerous instances, targeted Syrian military and allied reinforcements.
The regime has also provided Takfiri terrorists fleeing the allies’ defensive operations with safe passage and medical treatment.
Iran, Russia, and Turkey also stated in their statement that there can be no military solution to the Syria’s conflict.
They also agreed to make efforts to improve the situation in Syria’s Idlib and combat terrorism and eradicate the terrorist groups in the country and end Syria’s conflict.
“We discussed the situation in the de-escalation zone in Idlib and agreed to make more efforts to improve the humanitarian situation in and around the de-escalation zone. The necessity to maintain calm ‘on the ground’ through the full implementation of all existing agreements on Idlib was affirmed,” the three countries said in the statement.
According to the statement, the trio “expressed their determination to continue their interaction in order to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and to oppose separatist schemes that aim to undermine Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and to threaten the national security of the neighboring countries.”
The guarantors also expressed their concern about the humanitarian situation in the country, as well as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the country’s health system and socioeconomic conditions, and their opposition to unilateral sanctions that violate international law and the United Nations Charter.
Since 2011, Syria has been seized by foreign-backed insurgency, which has resulted in the emergence of Daesh and other terrorist organizations.
The Syrian government has repeatedly condemned the United States and the European Union for waging economic terrorism against the country through unilateral sanctions, holding them responsible for the Syrian people’s suffering, particularly now that the country is dealing with a deadly coronavirus outbreak.
On Tuesday, the 17th round of discussions began in Kazakhstan’s capital, Nur-Sultan. Delegations from the guarantor countries, the Syrian government, and the foreign-backed armed opposition met for two days.
The 18th round of discussions will take place in the first half of 2022, according to the statement.
The negotiations are being moderated by Russia and Iran, both of which are friends of the Syrian regime, as well as Turkey, which supports the opposition.
In a previous round of talks, the trio agreed to develop a framework to sustain the cease-fire, emphasized the significance of preserving Syria’s national sovereignty, and stated that there was no military solution to the Arab country’s issue.
