The spillover of Israel’s regional wars into Syria is “alarming and could get much worse,” the United Nations’ special envoy to Damascus told the UN Security Council on Wednesday, as he warned of serious implications for international peace and security.
Israel has carried out more than 100 airstrikes in Syria since October 7 last year, while hundreds of thousands of people fleeing Israeli bombardment in Lebanon have crossed into Syria in recent weeks, exacerbating the country’s humanitarian crisis, according to the UN.
“I want to issue a clear warning: regional spillover into Syria is alarming and could get much worse, with serious implications for Syria and international peace and security,” he added, saying the country needed “collective attention.”
Some background: About 425,000 people, including 300,000 Syrians, have crossed into Syria from Lebanon in recent weeks, according to the UN. That’s aggravating Syria’s humanitarian crisis, with worsening shortages of essential goods such as fuel and water, the UN has said.
The Israeli military has said its recent strikes on Syria targeted Hezbollah- and Iran-linked arms routes.
