Title: Syria in the Crosshairs of ISIS Amid Rising Terror Attacks

The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, told Security Council members that the threat of terrorism is "reemerging in Syria with expectations of a doubling of attacks by ISIS militants this year, putting the lives of civilians there at risk." Pedersen warned the Security Council of the "delicate security situation in Syria," stating: "The threat of a regional conflict in Syria has not diminished, particularly with the increase in Israeli airstrikes there." Approximately half a million people have died in the conflict, and half of the country's pre-war population of 23 million has been displaced. Israel has been targeting Iranian-linked sites in Syria for years, but the pace of these strikes has intensified in the past five months amid the ongoing Gaza war. Politically, Pedersen urged the Security Council to continue the peace negotiations led by Syria with the participation of "key international actors," in line with the resolution unanimously adopted by the Security Council in 2015. He stated, "The Syrian conflict is ultimately a political conflict that can only be resolved when the Syrian parties are able to achieve their legitimate aspirations." He added that the recent legislative elections "are not a substitute for the political process outlined in Security Council Resolution 2015."