Times: Millions of Syrians' lives in danger unless G7 intervenes

Former British Foreign Secretary David Miliband warned that the lives of millions of civilians in Idlib would be jeopardized if the G7 - including the United States, Britain, France and Germany - did not intervene to save their lives through diplomatic efforts and humanitarian aid.

Miliband, now chief executive of the New York-based International Rescue Committee, says the G7 should push for intensified international diplomatic efforts to save civilian lives in the city, where fighting between regime forces and the Syrian opposition has displaced more than half. Million people from their homes in the last four months.

A coordinated international diplomatic effort would bring about a solution that would save civilian lives, allow for the flow of humanitarian aid, and ensure accountability for violators of international humanitarian law and the return of multilateral political negotiations, rather than the current situation of Russian-Iranian hegemony.

He says the group's members (four of whose members have seats on the UN Security Council and the European Union, which hosts thousands of Syrian refugees) must demand that the council take action every time the parties to the conflict in Syria violate international humanitarian law, and their failure to do so is an encouragement to Murder and impunity.

Attacks and officials
The G7 should support the commission, announced recently by the UN secretary-general, to investigate attacks on key civilian infrastructure in northwestern Syria to ensure those responsible are held accountable.

The article stressed the need for the group of countries to attach great importance to the determination of Syria's fate, revive the dialogue between the conflicting parties, and the return of diplomatic efforts in light of the failure of the Astana talks to reach a peaceful solution to end the war that has plagued Syria for several years.

The G7 should defend the fundamental principles of the international system that are increasingly needed to be adhered to, the author concluded, considering Syria the most striking example of what happens when the world gives up those principles.