Venezuela, Syria & other topics - Daily Press Briefing (7 January 2026) | United Nations

Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General. Highlights: Venezuela Syria Lebanon/Israel Yemen Amanda Price Guest Today Briefing Tomorrow VENEZUELA The Secretary-General met with the Permanent Representative of Venezuela, Ambassador Samuel Moncada.  During the meeting, the Secretary-General reiterated his publicly-stated position on the US military action in Venezuela. He also expressed the availability of his good offices to support a possible inclusive national dialogue in Venezuela. SYRIA Turning to Syria, and in particular the developments in the northeast. The Secretary-General is alarmed by reports of civilian deaths and injuries following hostilities in Aleppo, Syria. The United Nations reiterates that all parties have a clear obligation, under international humanitarian law, to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure. We call on all actors to immediately de-escalate, exercise maximum restraint, and take all measures to prevent further harm to civilians. The United Nations encourages all parties to demonstrate flexibility and goodwill, on both the military and political tracks, and promptly resume negotiations in order to fully implement the 10 March agreement. LEBANON/ISRAEL Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix continues his visit to the Middle East. Today in Beirut, he met with senior Lebanese officials, including President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, Minister of Foreign Affairs Youssef Rajji, and Speaker of the Parliament Nabih Berri. Discussions focused on UNIFIL’s support to the Lebanese authorities in sustaining the cessation of hostilities. Mr. Lacroix also met with Lebanese Armed Forces Commander General Rodolphe Haykal, where they discussed the ongoing redeployment of the armed forces in the south and how UNIFIL can continue supporting implementation of Security Council resolution 1701. Yesterday, Mr. Lacroix traveled to southern Lebanon, where he witnessed firsthand the extensive destruction left by the hostilities. He urged all parties to respect the 2024 cessation of hostilities agreement, to enable civilians to return safely and allow UNIFIL to carry out its mandate. And just to note that earlier this week, the Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis Plascheart, was in Israel, where she met with senior officials, including Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, as part of broader consultations related to the implementation of the November understanding and Security Council resolution 1701. Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2026-01-07


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