John Kerry says looking into reported violations of Syrian truce

The leaders of the Saudi regime, which is committing massacres against the Yemeni people, and after all it did in Syria for five years, should be tried at the International Criminal Court, the source said, adding that the same goes for the Israeli war criminals who had visited Saudi Arabia recently.

A “cessation of hostilities” has been in effect in Syria for three days, although both sides accuse the other of violations.

He said Russian warplanes carried out 26 air strikes on Sunday alone, targeting rebels that are abiding by the truce.

Syria’s opposition said on Sunday it would stick to the cessation of hostilities despite a number of violations by Syrian government forces.

On the ground, rebels said the violence was below pre-ceasefire levels in some places and little changed in others.

“That’s why you hear Ban Ki-moon saying that the truce is largely holding”.

However, the HNC said that despite violations “here and there”, it was “positive to see people getting relief… to be safe, and free from fear”.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry said recent statements by Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir were “lies meant to boost the morale” of militants who have suffered setbacks in Syria in recent weeks and demonstrate the kingdom’s “destructive role” in Syria.

Speaking to reporters Monday in Geneva, Ban confirmed receiving a letter from the High Negotiations Committee, the main umbrella opposition group, complaining of continuing violations by the Syrian government and its Russian and Iranian backers.

“We have agreed to the temporary truce as a response to honest worldwide efforts aiming to ease the suffering of the Syrian people”, the letter read, which accused the Syrian government and its allies of violating the ceasefire two dozen times and killing 29 people. “France has therefore demanded that the task force charged with overseeing the cessation of hostilities meet without delay”.

Jean-Marc Ayrault spoke Monday, shortly before addressing a meeting of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

The United Nations plans to step up delivery of humanitarian aid in Syria, taking advantage of a fragile cease-fire that largely held for a third day.

A briefing note sent out by OCHA Monday says the assistance will include food, water and sanitation supplies, as well as non-food items and medicine to people trapped in besieged areas.

Muhannad al-Assadi told The Associated Press that the 51 trucks are carrying domestic supplies such as blankets, soap and diapers.

Ban also urged the parties to keep their promises so that de Mistura would be able to resume the suspended Syrian peace talks on March 7 in Geneva.

A successful truce would also create a more favourable backdrop for peace talks that collapsed in acrimony in early February as a Russia-backed regime offensive in northern Syria caused tens of thousands to flee.

Hezbollah has been fighting alongside government troops in Syria and the forces recently took from Islamic State militants the town of Khanaser and its surroundings in Aleppo. But it warned the Syrian government and Russian Federation not to target it under the pretense of attacking terrorist groups.

Fayyad was a Hezbollah veteran who had led major battles against the Israeli army in south Lebanon.

– The Observatory says that the death toll in areas outside jihadist control has fallen sharply since the ceasefire began, with 40 people killed on the first two days in areas where IS is not present, against 144 on Friday.