Syria, Palestine & other topics - Daily Press Briefing (23 July 2026) | United Nations

Noon briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

Highlights:

- Secretary-general/Travels
- Security Council
- Middle East
- Integrated Food Security Phase Classification/Gaza
- Occupied Palestinian Territory
- UN Interim Force in Lebanon
- Lebanon/Human Rights Office
- Sudan
- Chad
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Peacebuilding Fund
- Afghanistan
- Noon Briefing Guests/Tomorrow

SECRETARY-GENERAL/TRAVELS

The Secretary-General will travel to Syria later today. He is expected to arrive in Amman, Jordan, on Friday, and from there he will go on to Syria. On Saturday, in Damascus he’s expected to meet with senior Syrian officials, including President Ahmed Al-Sharaa and the Foreign Minister, Asaad Al-Shaibani.

The Secretary-General in his meetings is expected to underscore the importance of the visit. He will emphasize that the opportunity now is not only to recover from conflict, but also to lay the foundations for a future for Syria that will be more stable, more inclusive and more prosperous for all Syrians. He will reaffirm the role of the United Nations is to accompany and support the Syrian people on this journey.

The Secretary-General will undertake field visits, including one to the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF). He will also be meeting with women's groups, representatives of civil society and diverse communities.

On Monday, the Secretary-General is scheduled to address the new People’s Assembly of the Syrian Arab Republic.

The Secretary-General will be making his way to Cyprus following the visit to Syria.

SECURITY COUNCIL

This morning, at the Security Council, the Secretary-General spoke at a meeting marking one year since the adoption of resolution 2788, on the peaceful settlement of disputes, and in his remarks he warned that we are now seeing an alarming disregard for international law, with impunity spreading and violations going unanswered.

The Secretary-General warned that the situation in the Middle East is teetering on the edge of the unimaginable, with the region being pulled into an ever-widening circle of confrontation. It is time to step back, he said. Attacks on civilian infrastructure are unacceptable. There is no military solution to the conflict, he reaffirmed. Fighting must stop everywhere in the region. And, he added, international navigational rights and freedoms in and around the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab must be fully restored.

The Secretary-General recognized the mediation efforts of Pakistan and countries in the region, working to reduce tensions and create a space for dialogue, adding that these efforts must be supported and strengthened in pursuit of a peaceful and durable settlement.

Regarding Gaza, he warned that, despite the lifesaving impact of humanitarian aid, the number of those facing high levels of food insecurity is expected to rise in the coming months to 1.4 million people – roughly 70 per cent of the population. This is the bitter toll of restrictions on aid access and continuing violence, he asserted.

The Secretary-General pointed to priorities for bolstering collective mechanisms to settle disputes peacefully, including strengthening the Secretariat’s good offices and mediation support, fully using regional offices and envoys, and having the Security Council act decisively, while engaging more regularly in fact-finding.


Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2026-07-23