Arab League Calls for Diplomacy, Dialogue Over Ukraine Crisis

Arab League Assistant Sec-Gen, Hossam Zaki speaking at the urgent meeting over Ukraine (Arab League)
Arab League Assistant Sec-Gen, Hossam Zaki speaking at the urgent meeting over Ukraine (Arab League)
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Arab League Calls for Diplomacy, Dialogue Over Ukraine Crisis

Arab League Assistant Sec-Gen, Hossam Zaki speaking at the urgent meeting over Ukraine (Arab League)
Arab League Assistant Sec-Gen, Hossam Zaki speaking at the urgent meeting over Ukraine (Arab League)

The Arab League said it was following the developments in Ukraine with "great concern," calling for support for all efforts to resolve the crisis through dialogue and diplomacy.

The League, which held an emergency meeting on Monday at Egypt's request, said it supports "all efforts aimed at resolving the crisis through dialogue and diplomacy in a manner that preserves the security and safety of peoples in this important region of the world."

The meeting, chaired by Kuwait, stressed "the importance of respecting the principles of international law and the UN Charter," calling for supporting efforts to ease tensions.

The AL expressed concern over the deterioration of the humanitarian situation, stressing the importance of continued cooperation and coordination among Arab countries to maintain the security and safety of the Arab communities in the region and facilitate the conditions for those wishing to leave to neighboring countries.

The League also stressed the need to maintain the "security and safety of members of Arab diplomatic missions."

The League recommended forming an Arab group at the ministerial level to follow up and conduct the necessary consultations with the concerned parties seeking a diplomatic solution to the crisis.

During the meeting, the organization reviewed the developments of the situation and its effects on international peace and security and its direct impact on the Arab countries.

During his speech at the opening of the meeting, the Assistant Sec-Gen, Hossam Zaki, affirmed that the General Secretariat is following with great concern the developments in Ukraine and its severe military and humanitarian consequences.

Zaki reiterated it was necessary to intensify work to reach arrangements that satisfy everyone without resorting to military forces, warning that wars have their unfortunate high costs.

"We believe all peace-loving countries and organizations must move quickly to stop the escalation and not fuel it, restore dialogue, and seek to settle the crisis through indispensable diplomacy to avoid deterioration of the situation and expansion of the conflict."

Zaki noted that being in the Arab region "may make us, more than others, aware of the devastating effects of wars and the use of military force and its consequences, especially the extremely negative humanitarian consequences."

The official called for engaging in international action to end the current political and diplomatic crisis, which is the best way to address the situation and restore stability and achieve security for all.

"We hope, under these dangerous circumstances, that each party will bear its responsibility and that all efforts will be focused on sparing civilians from the consequences of the deteriorating security situation," said the assistant.

He emphasized the need for everyone to respect international humanitarian law and ensure that humanitarian aid reaches those who need it, especially in light of Ukrainian refugees continuing to arrive in neighboring countries.



Syrians Recover Human Remains from Site Used by Hezbollah and Other Assad Allies

An aerial view taken with a drone shows members of the Syrian Civil Defense group, the White Helmets, loading human remains in body bags on a truck in the Sayyida Zeinab district of Damascus, Syria, 18 December 2024. (EPA)
An aerial view taken with a drone shows members of the Syrian Civil Defense group, the White Helmets, loading human remains in body bags on a truck in the Sayyida Zeinab district of Damascus, Syria, 18 December 2024. (EPA)
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Syrians Recover Human Remains from Site Used by Hezbollah and Other Assad Allies

An aerial view taken with a drone shows members of the Syrian Civil Defense group, the White Helmets, loading human remains in body bags on a truck in the Sayyida Zeinab district of Damascus, Syria, 18 December 2024. (EPA)
An aerial view taken with a drone shows members of the Syrian Civil Defense group, the White Helmets, loading human remains in body bags on a truck in the Sayyida Zeinab district of Damascus, Syria, 18 December 2024. (EPA)

The Syrian Civil Defense group, known as the White Helmets, uncovered at least 21 corpses as well as incomplete human remains on Wednesday in the Sayyida Zeinab suburb of the capital Damascus.

The discovery was made at a site previously used by Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Iran-backed Iraqi militias, both allies of deposed President Bashar al-Assad during the country’s civil war.

The site included a field kitchen, a drugstore and a morgue, according to Ammar al-Salmo, an official with the White Helmets, a volunteer organization that operated in areas that were controlled by the opposition.

Rescue teams in white hazmat suits searched the site, located not far from the revered shrine of Sayyida Zeinab. The remains were placed into black bags and loaded onto a truck as bystanders from the neighborhood looked on.

“Some (of the remains) are skeletons, others are incomplete, and there are bags of small bones. We cannot yet determine the number of victims,” al-Salmo said.

“Damascus has become a mass grave,” he said, pointing out the growing reports of war-related graves and burial sites in the capital and other places in Syria.

Iran and Hezbollah provided Assad’s government with military, financial and logistical support during the civil war.