UK will support Syrian rebel group against Assad

The British Foreign Secretary, William Hague, announced on Tuesday that Britain will offer support to a coalition of Syrian rebels. The decision followed a meeting with leaders of the Syrian National Coalition on Friday. “On the basis of the assurances I received and my consultation with European partners yesterday, Her Majesty's Government has decided to recognise the National Coalition of the Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces as the sole legitimate representative of the Syrian people" the British Foreign Secretary said. Updating the House of Commons on the latest situation on Gaza, the Middle East Peace Process and Syria, Hague said: “The urgency of all this is underlined by the conflict in Syria. The whole House will join me in condemning the barbaric violence by the Assad regime, which continues its aerial warfare against Aleppo, Homs and Damascus itself.” In the ongoing Syria conflict, over 30,000 people have already died and more than 100 are being killed each day. “There are appalling reports of rape and sexual violence by government forces as a form of torture - which the UN Human Rights Council-mandated Commission of Inquiry has said could be prosecuted as crimes against humanity. There are now well over 400,000 refugees in neighbouring countries and the impact on young Syrians is particularly acute, since 50 percent of all Syrians internally displaced are children,” he added. In his statement, William Hague also said the group's assurances had been hopeful. "It is strongly in the interests of Syria, of the wider region and of the United Kingdom that we support them and deny space to extremist groups,” he added. The Foreign Minister declared an increase in humanitarian assistance and appealed to other members of the international community to give far more to UN relief efforts. “Our £53.5 million in humanitarian assistance so far includes £9.7 million for the World Food Programme to feed 80,000 people inside Syria each month; £4 million to the UN Refugee Agency to provide shelter and other basic relief items; and £9.7 million to other relief agencies for medical services and supplies, food parcels, water and sanitation services, distribution of blankets and hygiene kits.” However, he added that a political transition to new and legitimate leadership that reflects the will of the Syrian people was needed urgently to help end the violence and rebuild the country with regional and international support. “In the absence of that political and diplomatic solution, we will not rule out any option in accordance with international law that might save innocent lives in Syria," Hague said. He refused to rule out of the prospect of Britain arming the rebels directly, although at present he said there had been no decision to change policy. Also asserting a concern for the “intolerable situation” for the residents of southern Israel and the “grave loss of life and humanitarian suffering in Gaza” - Hague said that Hamas bears principal responsibility for the start of the current crisis but he has called on Israel to seek every opportunity to de-escalate their military response. “We have warned that a ground invasion of Gaza could lengthen the conflict, sharply increase civilian casualties, and erode international support for Israel’s position” he said.