Turkish Drone Attack Kills Three Syrian Soldiers in Al-Hasakah Countryside

File photo: A burnt vehicle is pictured after, what medical and security sources say, was targeted by a Turkish drone strike in the village of Tal Shaeer, Syria June 20, 2023. (HAWARNEWS/Handout via Reuters)
File photo: A burnt vehicle is pictured after, what medical and security sources say, was targeted by a Turkish drone strike in the village of Tal Shaeer, Syria June 20, 2023. (HAWARNEWS/Handout via Reuters)
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Turkish Drone Attack Kills Three Syrian Soldiers in Al-Hasakah Countryside

File photo: A burnt vehicle is pictured after, what medical and security sources say, was targeted by a Turkish drone strike in the village of Tal Shaeer, Syria June 20, 2023. (HAWARNEWS/Handout via Reuters)
File photo: A burnt vehicle is pictured after, what medical and security sources say, was targeted by a Turkish drone strike in the village of Tal Shaeer, Syria June 20, 2023. (HAWARNEWS/Handout via Reuters)

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Sunday that three Syrian soldiers were killed in an attack by a Turkish drone on a station of the Military Intelligence Department in Zibana Village, southern of Al-Qamishly in Al-Hasakah countryside, according to Arab World Press.

The war monitor said the Turkish drones targeted Sunday sites in the Al-Hasakah countryside, including an oil facility.

Türkiye has affirmed ongoing operations in northern Iraq and Syria to eradicate “terrorism” and its sources and to deter the formation of a terrorist corridor along the southern borders.

The Turkish Presidency said following a security meeting that “Türkiye’s counter-terrorism strategies were evaluated and steps to be taken after the treacherous attack on Friday in Türkiye's Operation Claw-Lock zone in northern Iraq were discussed.”

The statement underlined that Türkiye continues its strategy to prevent and destroy threats to the country's survival at their source.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan chaired Saturday's meeting at Istanbul's Dolmabahce Palace.

Türkiye escalated its attacks in northern Syria, targeting infrastructure and oil facilities.

In the past two days, Turkish warplanes launched several airstrikes targeting Aouda Oil Station in Al-Qahtaniya Town - northeastern Al-Hasakah - in addition to launching two airstrikes on an archeological area in Pakarwan Village in Al-Malkiya countryside - northern Al-Hasakah.



Members of UN Security Council Call for Surge in Assistance to Gaza

 Palestinian man Moein Abu Odeh searches for clothes through the rubble of a house destroyed in the Israeli military offensive, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, November 18, 2024. (Reuters)
Palestinian man Moein Abu Odeh searches for clothes through the rubble of a house destroyed in the Israeli military offensive, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, November 18, 2024. (Reuters)
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Members of UN Security Council Call for Surge in Assistance to Gaza

 Palestinian man Moein Abu Odeh searches for clothes through the rubble of a house destroyed in the Israeli military offensive, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, November 18, 2024. (Reuters)
Palestinian man Moein Abu Odeh searches for clothes through the rubble of a house destroyed in the Israeli military offensive, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, November 18, 2024. (Reuters)

Members of the United Nations Security Council called on Monday for a surge in assistance to reach people in need in Gaza, warning that the situation in the Palestinian enclave was getting worse.

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said there needs to be a "huge, huge rise in aid" to Gaza, where most of the population of 2.3 million people has been displaced and the enclave's health officials say more than 43,922 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's offensive.

"The situation is devastating, and frankly, beyond comprehension, and it's getting worse, not better. Winter's here. Famine is imminent, and 400 days into this war, it is totally unacceptable that it's harder than ever to get aid into Gaza," Lammy said.

Hamas-led gunmen attacked Israel in October last year, killing 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield told the Security Council that Washington was closely watching Israel's actions to improve the situation for Palestinians and engaging with the Israeli government every day.

"Israel must also urgently take additional steps to alleviate the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza," she said.

President Joe Biden's administration concluded this month that Israel was not currently impeding assistance to Gaza and therefore not violating US law, even as Washington acknowledged the humanitarian situation remained dire in the Palestinian enclave.

The assessment came after the US in an Oct. 13 letter gave Israel a list of steps to take within 30 days to address the worsening situation in Gaza, warning that failure to do so may have possible consequences on US military aid to Israel.

Thomas-Greenfield said Israel was working to implement 12 of the 15 steps.

"We need to see all steps fully implemented and sustained, and we need to see concrete improvement in the humanitarian situation on the ground," she said, including Israel allowing commercial trucks to move into Gaza alongside humanitarian assistance, addressing persistent lawlessness and implementing pauses in fighting in large areas of Gaza to allow assistance to reach those in need.

Tor Wennesland, the UN coordinator for the Middle East peace process, said humanitarian agencies face a challenging and dangerous operational environment in Gaza and access restrictions that hinder their work.

"The humanitarian situation in Gaza, as winter begins, is catastrophic, particularly developments in the north of Gaza with a large-scale and near-total displacement of the population and widespread destruction and clearing of land, amidst what looks like a disturbing disregard for international humanitarian law," Wennesland said.

"The current conditions are among the worst we’ve seen during the entire war and are not set to improve," he said.