DAMASCUS, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Monday gave his instructions to reopen the Lebanese embassy in Syria after it was closed over the past years due to security events in the country.
Mikati's remarks came during his meeting with Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib, according to a statement released by Mikati's office. There was no mention of the specific date of the reopening.
Lebanon opened an embassy in Damascus for the first time in 2009 after some Lebanese political parties called for diplomatic ties between the two countries and asked Syria to treat Lebanon as a fully sovereign country.
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U.S.-led mediation efforts have failed to establish a lasting ceasefire in northern Syria's Manbij and Kobani regions, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said on Monday.
In a statement from its media center, the SDF accused Türkiye and allied militias of rejecting key provisions in a proposed agreement, including the transfer of remaining Manbij Military Council fighters and civilians seeking relocation to safer areas in northern and eastern Syria.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights corroborated the claim, reporting that Turkish-backed factions have refused to implement the terms of a de-escalation agreement reached with the U.S.-backed SDF. The Observatory added that these factions are blocking entry for the Kurdish Red Crescent and "autonomous administration" convoys aiming to evacuate civilians, prisoners, and the bodies of the deceased.
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Jordan and Iraq on Monday expressed here a unified parliamentary stance in supporting Syria's security and stability, backing efforts to stop the Israeli "aggression" on Gaza, and continuing to provide humanitarian aid to the region.
During a meeting between Jordan's Lower House Speaker Ahmed Safadi and Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament Mahmoud Al-Mashhadani, the two stressed the importance of enhancing coordination between both countries to address regional challenges and exerting maximum efforts to prevent the expansion of regional conflict, Jordan's state-run Petra news agency reported.
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More than 880,000 people have been displaced since the latest escalation of hostilities in Syria, UN humanitarians said Monday.
UN partners estimated that around 6 percent of the displaced are living with at least one form of disability.
"Return movements remain dynamic, with partners recording more than 220,000 returnees yesterday (Sunday)," the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said. "Additionally, over 40,000 displaced people are staying in around 250 collective centers across northeast Syria." ■
