Syrian President calls on U.S. to push Israel to halt brutal attack

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Monday called on the United States to push Israel to halt its brutal aggressions, lift the siege on Gaza Strip, and move forward with the peace process as the only solution to restore the regional stability, the official SANA news agency reported.

His remarks came with the meeting with the visiting U.S. Senator Bob Corker who arrived in Damascus on Monday.

President al-Assad said that while the Arabs are working for peace, Israel is now killing civilians who came to break the siege in a complete disregard of human life and all international laws and legislation, the report said.

"Israel still has unlimited and unconditional support from the United States whatever crimes it commits, destabilizing our region and raising tensions," the news agency quoted Assad as saying.

The Republican Senator Corker affirmed the need for the U.S. to have good relations with Syria, due to Syria's pivotal role in the Middle East.

The talks dealt with Syrian-US relations, developments in the Middle East, and the stalled peace process in the region.

Israeli navy backed with helicopters attacked early Monday morning Gaza-bound aid flotilla in the Mediterranean international waters with live ammunition and gas bombs, causing over 10 activists on board killed and over 30 injured, according to local media.

Source: Xinhua