Ban Urges Assad to Stop Killing Civilians

U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon on Monday urged Syrian President Bashar Assad to immediately stop the killings of civilians and to accept an international probe on human rights violations.

"There are continuous killings of civilian people. These killings must stop immediately," said the U.N. chief in Bern.

"I told Assad, 'stop before it is too late'," said Ban, noting that thousands have perished in the regime's brutal crackdown on dissent.

"It is unacceptable that 3,000 people have been killed.

"U.N. is urging him again to take urgent action," he said.

The U.N. secretary-general also called on Assad to accept an international commission of inquiry into the violations.

The U.N. Human Rights Council had ordered in April a probe into the situation in Syria earlier this year, but Damascus had blocked investigators from entering the country.

During an emergency session in August, the council commissioned another probe.

At the end of September, the head of the investigation team said his team hoped to be allowed to visit Syria, although it had not yet been in contact with the Syrian authorities.

Concerning the exchange of prisoners between Israel and Hamas, Ban said that Israel's plans to release 477 Palestinian security prisoners in order to secure the freedom of captive soldier Gilad Shalit marked a positive step towards peace.

"The recent announcement of the exchange of prisoners is welcome, it is a positive movement for peace," Ban said in Bern.

The Palestinians have been "suffering for six decades, they have not been able to enjoy genuine freedom or human rights."

"The U.N. has been working very hard, and fully supports the process" towards peace, added the U.N. secretary-general.

If the swap goes to plan, it would mark the first time in 26 years that a captured soldier has been returned to the Jewish state alive.