Moroccan human rights groups on Thursday announced the launch of a national campaign to free more than 70 "political prisoners," particularly jailed members of the "February 20" protest movement.

The movement was formed last year during the mass uprisings sweeping the region by youths demanding democratic reform and action on a wide range of social grievances.

In an army barracks seized by rebels in northern Syria, Abu Islam heads a new unit that looks into complaints against insurgents for abuses such as intimidation, extortion and vandalism.

"We need an organized system that works better than before, to eliminate bad behavior by (rebel) Free Syrian Army fighters and civilians," Abu Islam told an AFP correspondent in al-Bab.

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas is still a "serious partner" for peace despite his successful bid for U.N. non-state membership, Israeli President Shimon Peres told Agence France Presse in an exclusive interview on Thursday.

"I tried to influence him not to do it right now. I told him: look it's not the proper time to do it," Peres said. "But I still believe he's a serious partner and a serious man and I have respect for him."

Iraq wants a new start to improve its strained relations with Turkey and is extending an olive branch to its neighbor, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said in an interview published on Thursday.

"The current situation does not satisfy anyone, neither the Iraqi nor the Turkish people," Maliki was quoted as saying by Turkey's Hurriyet newspaper in an interview conducted in Baghdad.

U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon said on Thursday that Syrian President Bashar Assad should be "brought to justice" if his regime uses chemical weapons to combat the armed revolt in his country.

"I have expressed my concerns to the Syrian government and I have sent a letter to President Assad two days ago," Ban told a joint news conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in Baghdad.

Syria's new ambassador to Iraq has taken up his post in Baghdad, five months after his predecessor defected and joined the country's anti-regime revolt, the president's office said on Thursday.

Sattam al-Jadaan, named on October 9 to replace Nawaf Fares who defected in July, submitted his credentials to Iraqi President Jalal Talabani at a ceremony on Wednesday, it said.

Jordan's King Abdullah II flew in to the West Bank city of Ramallah on Thursday for the first visit by a top foreign leader since the Palestinians gained upgraded United Nations status.

The monarch arrived by military helicopter from Jordan, landing at the presidential headquarters known as the Muqataa, where he was greeted by Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas and other senior officials.

The Hamas government in Gaza confirmed on Thursday that the movement's politburo chief Khaled Meshaal was due in the coastal territory on Friday to celebrate Hamas's 25th anniversary.

The trip is set to be a historic one for Meshaal, who was born in the West Bank but has not visited the Palestinian territories since he went into exile after the 1967 Six-Day War.

Regime forces waged fierce assaults on rebel positions around Syria on Thursday, including on the outskirts of Damascus where the government is determined to regain control, a monitoring group said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said fighting on Wednesday had claimed 104 lives across the country, according to its toll compiled from a network of activists, lawyers and doctors.

The German government said Wednesday it had approved participation in a NATO mission to deploy Patriot missiles to help member state Turkey defend its border against Syria and will send up to 400 troops.

The foreign and defense ministries said in a joint statement that the mandate, which is expected to be presented to parliament early next week, would run to January 31, 2014.