Syria has strongly denounced the repeated use of internationally banned white phosphorus by the Israeli occupation forces in their attacks on Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon. The country has called upon the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to launch an investigation into Israel’s deployment of these prohibited weapons.
The Acting Chargé d’affaires of the Permanent Delegation of Syria to the United Nations, Dr. Al-Hakam Dandi, made these remarks during the 4th Session of the Conference on the Establishment of a Middle East Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction.
Dandi reiterated Syria’s call for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to fulfill its responsibilities by taking all necessary actions to uncover Israel’s secretive military nuclear program, which poses a constant threat to international peace and security.
“Our region has endured decades of instability due to the Israeli occupation of Arab territories and the ongoing violations of international law and humanitarian principles by the occupying authorities,” stated Dandi.
The Syrian diplomat added, “Israel’s possession of vast stockpiles of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons of mass destruction, with the support of its allies in the United States and other Western nations, has significantly escalated the grave threat to both regional and global peace and security.”
“Syria unequivocally condemns the Israeli occupation forces’ use of internationally prohibited white phosphorus in their repeated attacks on civilians in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon. We urge the OPCW to initiate an investigation into Israel’s deployment of these weapons,” Dandi emphasized.
Dandi highlighted that the protective shield provided by certain Western nations, notably the United States, has enabled “Israel” to stand alone in the Middle East as the possessor and developer of weapons of mass destruction, while it refuses international scrutiny of its nuclear facilities.
He further noted that Syria was among the earliest nations to join the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and signed a Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency. Syria has also signed the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), joined the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), and diligently fulfilled its corresponding obligations.
“In a spirit of seriousness and transparency, my country stands ready to collaborate with all participating delegations in this conference. We eagerly anticipate the creation of a legally binding treaty to establish a nuclear-free zone in the Middle East, one that guarantees security for the peoples of our region and the world,” concluded the Syrian diplomat.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
