March 14 Denounces Madaya Siege, Says Hizbullah Involvement 'Shameful'
The March 14 General Secretariat denounced on Friday what it described as a “starvation siege” in the Syrian town of Madaya, dubbing Hizbullah's role as “an act of shame.”
“The Syrian town of Madaya is witnessing a siege of starvation that amounts to crimes of war and can be classified in the category of crimes against humanity,” a March 14 alliance statement said.
“The Lebanese, who in principle refuse Hizbullah's participation in the war against the Syrian people, see that Hizbullah’s involvement in the siege and starvation is a shameful act that contradicts its 'political ethics' which the party claims to uphold,” added the statement.
“The international community is required to take an immediate initiative to find ways to enter relief materials in order to save the inhabitants of this town,” it added.
“The judicial parties and international human rights authorities must take the necessary measures to bring to justice all those responsible for this crime of the pillars of the Syrian regime, its allies and supporters,” added the statement.
On Thursday, Syria's government gave permission for U.N. aid deliveries to three besieged towns of Fuaa, Kafraya and Madaya near Damascus where residents say people are starving to death.
The three towns are part of a landmark six-month deal reached in September for an end to hostilities in those areas in exchange for humanitarian assistance.
Madaya has last received humanitarian assistance in October but has since been inaccessible "despite numerous requests," according to a statement from the U.N.'s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Around 40,000 people, mostly civilians, live in Madaya in Damascus province, many of them displaced from the neighboring rebel stronghold of Zabadani.
Reports have claimed lately that Hizbullah has a hand in the Madaya siege, which the party slammed in a report it issued on Thursday.
Hizbullah has been fighting alongside the Syrian regime since the war erupted .
Source: Naharnet
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