UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a new call Friday for "an immediate cessation" to military operations in southwest Syria amid claims of a ceasefire between the Syrian regime and rebels.
Guterres is "deeply alarmed by the military offensive in southwestern Syria and its devastating toll on civilians," said a statement from his spokesman Stephane Dujarric.
"The secretary-general recalls that the southwest area of Syria is part of a de-escalation agreement agreed between Jordan, Russia and the United States," the statement said.
Guterres "calls on all parties to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law and human rights law, protect civilians and facilitate safe, unimpeded and sustained humanitarian access."
The UN chief had made a similar call earlier this month, after Russian-backed Syrian regime forces began attacking opposition-held parts of Daraa province on June 19.
A Jordanian official source told Reuters on Friday that there were confirmed reports of a ceasefire in southern Syria that would lead to "reconciliation.” The source did not elaborate.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitoring group, said the regime's military campaign had killed at least 98 civilians since June 19.
The chief Syrian opposition negotiator Nasr al-Hariri has decried "US silence" over the offensive and said only a "malicious deal" could explain the lack of a US response.
The Kremlin said Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump will have a detailed discussion about Syria when they meet in July.
