Key Takeaways
- The US presidency of UNSC prioritizes resolving the Gaza conflict and returning Israeli hostages.
- US Envoy to UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield emphasizes the need for a peaceful resolution in Gaza.
- The US continues to engage with partners in the region to end the conflict in Syria and restore calm.
Gaza: The United States will further work to end the Gaza conflict and return all Israeli hostages back to their homeland since the situation in the Gaza Strip will remain a top priority during the US presidency of the United Nations Security Council, US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said.
“And of course it goes without saying that the situation in Gaza will be at the top of our focus. We will continue our reckless diplomacy to bring an end to this conflict and bring the hostages home. We will continue to work around the clock to elevate the suffering of the Palestinian people,” Thomas-Greenfield told reporters on Monday.
She added that Washington continues to engage with partners in the region to end the current escalation in Syria.
“The current situation on the ground is concerning. We are watching that situation very closely and we will continue to engage with partners in the region to find a path to end the conflict and for the situation to go back to calm,” she said.
The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham terrorist group (formerly known as the Nusra Front, banned in Russia) and a number of other armed groups launched a large-scale operation against the Syrian government on November 29, advancing from the north of the northwestern region of Idlib towards the cities of Aleppo and Hama. A day later, Aleppo, Syria’s second largest city, came under the complete control of the militants for the first time since the beginning of the conflict in the country in 2011.
The Syrian army command announced on December 1 that the advance of the terrorists in the region of Hama had been stopped and government troops had launched a counteroffensive, taking control of a number of settlements previously seized by militants.
