The Syrian people are calling for peaceful change

The Syrian people are calling for peaceful change

William Hague urged the "discredited" Syrian regime to end its violent as the United Nations Security Council adopted. A statement condemning attacks on civilians and widespread human rights abuses.

Intensification of the three-month-old bloody crackdown against anti-government protests, the international body agreed the wording – with only Syria's neighbour Lebanon dissociating itself from the text.

Hague said: "I welcome the UN security council presidential statement on Syria.

"The Security Council demonstrates the rising international concern at the unacceptable behaviour of the regime and shows that President Assad is increasingly isolated. It comes on top of a fourth round of EU sanctions put in place earlier this week.

The UN Security Council finally broke through a near-unanimous statement condemning President Bashar al-Assad for unleashing his forces on civilians and violating human rights.

Though the presidential statement has no teeth and was less than the full Security Council resolution that by the US, UK and France, it is an indication of growing impatience within the international community towards the Syrian crackdown.

Hague said: “The Syrian people are calling for peaceful change. I call on President Assad's regime to end its violence and to allow genuine political reform.

"Until it does, the regime will be discredited amongst its own people and facing increased pressure internationally."

Rapidly – increasing pressure on the 15 members of the Security Council to issue a condemnation of the regime's actions. Russia, China, India, Brazil and South Africa had been resisting the move.

Lebanon's deputy UN ambassador Caroline Ziade said that "while we express our deep regret for the loss of innocent victims," the presidential statement "does not help in addressing the current situation in Syria."