The UN will submit a detailed report to the Security Council later this month on Israeli violations in Syria, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Sunday.
Speaking at a news conference in Damascus, Guterres stressed that violations of Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity are "unacceptable," urging Israel to comply with the 1974 Disengagement Agreement.
"The atrocities Syria has witnessed have not broken the Syrian people's resolve to pursue their legitimate aspirations," he added.
He also warned that UN humanitarian assistance currently meets only around 20% of the Syrian people's needs.
Guterres said his visit to Sednaya Prison revealed the scale of the horrors endured there, where tens of thousands of people were killed and tortured.
He voiced determination to do everything possible to support Syria's internationally backed transition, which he said is moving in the right direction.
The UN chief said the transitional justice process in Syria is underway, underlining the need to ensure accountability for all crimes committed in recent years.
Guterres welcomed steps taken to ease sanctions and open new prospects for Syria's economic recovery but said all these sanctions should be lifted immediately.
He described Syria as a pillar of regional stability and called for its reintegration into the regional and global economies.
The UN chief added that Syria needs support to restore essential services and infrastructure, revive its education and healthcare systems, and create economic opportunities.
Syria must be reconnected to the regional and global economies, with development partners and international institutions returning to help unlock the country's economic potential, he added.
Guterres arrived in Damascus on Saturday for a three-day visit and held talks with President Ahmad al-Sharaa and Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, during which he reaffirmed the UN's commitment to Syria's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity and called on the international community to support the country's recovery.
On Dec. 8, 2024, Syrian opposition groups overthrew the regime of Bashar al-Assad, who had ruled Syria since 2000 after inheriting power from his father Hafez Assad, who ruled from 1971 to 2000.
