Pedersen Says he Believes there are Possibilities for Progress on Syria

Children attend class in make-shift classrooms at a camp for the displaced by the village of Killi, near Bab al-Hawa by the border with Turkey, in Syria's northwestern Idlib province on December 20, 2021. (Photo by AAREF WATAD / AFP)
Children attend class in make-shift classrooms at a camp for the displaced by the village of Killi, near Bab al-Hawa by the border with Turkey, in Syria's northwestern Idlib province on December 20, 2021. (Photo by AAREF WATAD / AFP)
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Pedersen Says he Believes there are Possibilities for Progress on Syria

Children attend class in make-shift classrooms at a camp for the displaced by the village of Killi, near Bab al-Hawa by the border with Turkey, in Syria's northwestern Idlib province on December 20, 2021. (Photo by AAREF WATAD / AFP)
Children attend class in make-shift classrooms at a camp for the displaced by the village of Killi, near Bab al-Hawa by the border with Turkey, in Syria's northwestern Idlib province on December 20, 2021. (Photo by AAREF WATAD / AFP)

UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen said Monday he believed there are possibilities for progress in the Syrian conflict that need to be explored in 2022, adding all parties confront a “strategic stalemate” amid “grave risks and costs to all by simply trying to muddle through with the unacceptable status quo.”

“Despite no shift in front lines, we have seen continuing violence against civilians and systematic human rights abuses -- including against women and girls,” Pedersen told the UN Security Council in a briefing.

“Levels of hunger and poverty have escalated as the economy has continued to implode, with 14 million people in need, the highest number since the conflict began,” he said.

“Many tens of thousands remain detained, abducted or missing,” he added.

The envoy told the Council that “13 million Syrians remain displaced inside and outside the country – many of their children not knowing their homeland – their prospects for safe, dignified and voluntary return not improving – and a continuing challenge for Syria’s neighbors.”

He stated that Syria remains fragmented into several areas as de facto authorities entrench their control on the ground, “and five foreign armies continue to jostle in the theater.”

“Syria continues to radiate instability -- a haven for mercenaries, drug trafficking and terrorism.”

“Six years since its adoption, we are regrettably a long way from implementing Security Council resolution 2254,” he said.

“But I do believe there are possibilities for progress that need to be explored in 2022. Why do I say this? There are two main reasons for this. First: because all parties confront what I call a strategic stalemate on the ground that has now continued for 21 months, with no shifts in front-lines – making it increasingly clear that no existing actor or group of actors can determine the outcome of the conflict, and that a military solution remains an illusion. And second: because there are grave risks and costs to all by simply trying to muddle through with the unacceptable status quo -- especially given the humanitarian suffering, the continuing displacement crisis, the collapse of the economy, the de facto division of the country, the dangers of renewed escalation, and the continued threat of terrorism,” Pedersen stated.

“I have been highlighting these dynamics in all my engagements. With each passing month, I have sensed a wider realization than before that political and economic steps are needed -- and that these can really only happen together – step-by-step, step-for-step.”

He said that his sense from engagements with regional countries and Syrian stakeholders is that there is still great mistrust on all sides. A common message that he hears from many is that “we have made steps, but those on the other sides have not.”

“I have begun consulting senior officials from key stakeholders – Syrian and international – in bilateral consultations with me in Geneva. These are now underway and will continue in January. This is a first set of consultations in what I believe needs to be a rolling process,” said Pedersen.

He hailed that so far, Russia, the European Union, Turkey and Qatar have participated in bilateral consultations with him in Geneva, saying he looked forward to engaging further participants in the New Year. He asked each stakeholder not only their priorities and demands, but also what they are prepared to put on the table in that context, to help move the process forward.

He stressed that while the political solution in Syria must be Syrian-owned and Syrian-led, many issues are not solely in the hands of the Syrians.

“We have seen that when key stakeholders work together with mutual steps on issues of common concern, at least some progress has been possible,” he said.

“US-Russian channels helped lay the groundwork for Security Council resolution 2585, and it is important that we maintain and build on this. As the Secretary-General has stated in his recent report: ‘We must continue to take every opportunity to address humanitarian needs, including through further increasing access and further expanding early recovery efforts’.”

He revealed that while in Nur-Sultan, his team will attend a meeting of the Working Group on the Release of Detainees/Abductees, the Handover of Bodies and the Identification of Missing Persons, “where we continue to urge meaningful progress on the various aspects of the file.”

“They will also review the most recent release operation under the Working Group’s umbrella when, on 16 December – in an operation observed by my office – five persons from each side were simultaneously released in northern Syria.”

“As I work to advance a broader process, I am actively engaged in seeking to reconvene the Syrian-led, Syrian-owned, UN-facilitated Constitutional Committee. In October and November, Deputy Special Envoy Mattar went twice to Damascus for consultations regarding a new session and also met in Istanbul with the Syrian Negotiations Commission and the Co-Chair it nominated. Just over a week ago, as I have mentioned, I travelled to Damascus, where I met with the Foreign Minister and the Co-Chair nominated by the Syrian Government.”

He said it was important that the delegations not only table constitutional texts but that they all – including the delegation that has not yet done so – are ready to commit to revising them in light of the discussions.

“We need a productive drafting process according to the Committee’s mandate. The Committee must work, as its Terms of Reference outline, ‘expeditiously and continuously to produce results and continued progress’.”



Israel Plans to Capture All of Gaza under New Plan, Officials Say

 An Israeli army tank maneuvers in the Gaza Strip, is seen from southern Israel, Sunday, May 4, 2025. (AP)
An Israeli army tank maneuvers in the Gaza Strip, is seen from southern Israel, Sunday, May 4, 2025. (AP)
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Israel Plans to Capture All of Gaza under New Plan, Officials Say

 An Israeli army tank maneuvers in the Gaza Strip, is seen from southern Israel, Sunday, May 4, 2025. (AP)
An Israeli army tank maneuvers in the Gaza Strip, is seen from southern Israel, Sunday, May 4, 2025. (AP)

Israel approved plans Monday to capture the entire Gaza Strip and to stay in the Palestinian territory for an unspecified amount of time, two Israeli officials said, a move that, if implemented, would vastly expand Israel's operations there and likely draw fierce international opposition.

Israeli Cabinet ministers approved the plan in an early morning vote, hours after the Israeli military chief said the army was calling up tens of thousands of reserve soldiers.

The new plan, which the officials said was meant to help Israel achieve its war aims of defeating Hamas and freeing hostages held in Gaza, also calls for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to move to Gaza's south. That would likely amount to their forcible displacement and exacerbate an already dire humanitarian crisis.

A third person, a defense official, said the new plan would not begin until after US President Donald Trump wraps up his expected visit to the Middle East this month, allowing for the possibility that Israel might agree to a ceasefire in the meantime. All three officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were discussing military plans.

Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005 after a decades-long occupation and then imposed a blockade on the territory along with Egypt. Capturing and potentially occupying the territory again for an indefinite period would not only further dash hopes for Palestinian statehood, it would embed Israel inside a population that is deeply hostile to it and raise questions about how Israel plans to govern the territory, especially at a time when it is considering how to implement Trump’s vision to take over Gaza.

Since Israel ended a ceasefire with the Hamas group in mid-March, Israel has unleashed fierce strikes on the territory that have killed hundreds. It has captured swaths of territory and now controls roughly 50% of Gaza. Before the truce ended, Israel halted all humanitarian aid into the territory, including food, fuel and water, setting off what is believed to the be the worst humanitarian crisis in nearly 19 months of war.

The war began when Hamas-led fighters attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages. Israel says 59 captives remain in Gaza, although about 35 are believed to be dead.

Israel’s offensive has displaced more than 90% of Gaza’s population and, Palestinian health officials say, killed more than 52,000 people there, many of them women and children. The officials do not distinguish between combatants and civilians in their count.

The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza said Monday that the bodies of 32 people killed by Israeli strikes have been brought to hospitals over the past 24 hours.

Israel is trying to ratchet up pressure on Hamas

The Israeli officials said the plan included the "capturing of the strip and the holding of territories."

The plan would also seek to prevent Hamas from distributing humanitarian aid, a role that Israel says strengthens the group's rule in Gaza. It also accuses Hamas of keeping the aid for itself, without providing evidence. Aid workers deny there is a significant diversion of aid to militants, saying the UN strictly monitors distribution.

The officials said Israel was in touch with several countries about Trump's plan to take over Gaza and relocate its population, under what Israel has termed "voluntary emigration." That proposal has drawn widespread condemnation, including from Israel's allies in Europe, and rights groups have warned it could be a war crime under international law.

Hamas officials did not return calls and messages seeking comment on the plans.

For weeks, Israel has been trying to ratchet up pressure on Hamas to get the group to agree to its terms in ceasefire negotiations. But the measures do not appear to have moved Hamas away from its negotiating positions.

The previous ceasefire was meant to lead the sides to negotiate an end to the war, but that has remained elusive. Israel says it won’t agree to end the war until Hamas' governing and military capabilities are dismantled. Hamas, meanwhile, has sought an agreement that winds down the war without agreeing to disarm.

Israel's expansion announcement angered families of hostages who fear that any extension of the conflict endangers their loved ones. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which supports families, urged Israel's decision-makers to prioritize the hostages and secure a deal quickly.

At a Knesset committee meeting Monday, Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan is being held hostage, called on soldiers "not to report for reserve duty for moral and ethical reasons."

Some reservists have indicated they will refuse to serve in a war they increasingly view as politically motivated.

Israel wants to prevent Hamas from handling aid

The defense official said the plan would "separate" Hamas from the aid by using private firms and by using specified areas secured by the Israeli military. The official added that Palestinians would be screened to prevent Hamas from accessing the aid.

According to a memo circulated among aid groups and seen by The Associated Press, Israel told the United Nations that it will use private security companies to control aid distribution in Gaza. The UN, in a statement Sunday, said it would not participate in the plan as presented, saying it violates its core principles.

The memo summarized a meeting between the Israeli defense body in charge of coordinating aid to Gaza, called COGAT, and the UN It was written by a group briefed on the meeting and sent Sunday to aid organizations.

According to the memo, under COGAT’s plan, all aid will enter Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing, on approximately 60 trucks daily, and be distributed directly to people. Some 500 trucks entered Gaza every day before the war.

The memo said that facial-recognition technology will be used to identify Palestinians at logistics hubs and text message alerts will notify people in the area that they can collect aid.

COGAT did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The UN accuses Israel of wanting to control aid as a ‘pressure tactic’

After Israel said it was going to assert more control over aid distribution in Gaza, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs sent an email to aid groups, urging them to "collectively hold the line" and reject any "draconian restrictions on humanitarian work."

The email, which OCHA sent Monday to aid groups and was shared with the AP, further stated that there are mechanisms in place to ensure aid is not diverted.

Earlier, OCHA said in a statement that the plan would leave large parts of the population, including the most vulnerable, without supplies. It said the plan "appears designed to reinforce control over life-sustaining items as a pressure tactic – as part of a military strategy."

Aid groups have said they are opposed to using any armed or uniformed personnel to distribute aid that could potentially intimidate Palestinians or put them at risk, and they fiercely criticized the new plan.

Israeli officials "want to manipulate and militarize all aid to civilians, forcing us to deliver supplies through hubs designed by the Israeli military, once the government agrees to reopen crossings," Jan Egeland, secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, posted on X, saying the group would not participate.

Hamas decried Israel’s efforts to control distribution of humanitarian aid in Gaza as a violation of international law.

In a statement Monday, the group said the effort is "an extension of the starvation policy" adopted by the Israeli government in Gaza.

Earlier this month, the AP obtained notes summarizing various Israeli proposals on aid distribution and aid groups’ concerns about them. In those documents, the groups expressed fears that Palestinians would be required to retrieve aid from a small number of sites, forcing families to move to get assistance and putting their safety at risk if large crowds gathered at the sites.