Strongly condemning the violence that resulted in hundreds of victims last week in southern Syria, EU High Representative, Kaja Kallas, called, on Thursday 24 July, for the “ceasefire currently in force to be fully respected”.
She urged all parties to immediately stop all acts of violence, to ensure the safety of civilians regardless of their ethnic or religious background, to protect civilian infrastructure including religious sites, and to take immediate steps to prevent any further incitement and sectarian discourse. A “transparent, credible and impartial investigation” into the violence must be carried out, and all those responsible for grave violations of international humanitarian and human rights law must be held accountable and brought to justice, she added.
Supporting its partners in the delivery of essential humanitarian aid, the EU has called on all parties, in particular the transitional authorities, to ensure urgent, safe and unrestricted humanitarian access to life-saving services, as well as the protection of humanitarian personnel.
See the statement: https://aeur.eu/f/hzu (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)