On December 17, 2023, Syrian regime forces used a rocket launcher to fire multiple rockets at Darat Ezza city in western rural Aleppo governorate. The rockets hit al-Janoubi neighborhood in the city, causing a fire that killed three civilians, including a child, with the victims’ bodies being incinerated in the blaze. The regime forces also targeted al-Sharqi neighborhood, killing one man and one pregnant woman, with the attacks also causing widespread destruction in the areas targeted. The area is under the control of armed opposition factions and Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).
The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) notes that through these attacks, Syrian regime forces have again unequivocally violated UN Security Council resolutions 2139 & 2254, both of which categorically prohibit indiscriminate attacks, as well as violating the rules of international humanitarianlaw on distinguishing between civilians and fighters. Such attacks aim solely to spread fear and panic among civilians, to drive them from their lands and homes, and to forcibly displace them. An estimated 6.5 million people are currently internally displaced in Syria.
The international community must put pressure on the Syrian regime and its allies to support a process of political transition. Pressure should be applied on all parties to compel them to launch such a transition within a period of no more than six months, so that millions of displaced people can safely and stably return to their homes.
