GENEVA – The United Nations Commission of Inquiry on Syria has called for strict adherence to international law amid escalating violence in the country, cautioning that a recent surge in hostilities since November 27 risks expanding to previously unaffected areas.
Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, the commission’s chair, stressed the importance of learning from Syria’s devastating past. “If the brutality of previous years is repeated, the country faces a grim future filled with fresh atrocities,” Pinheiro stated. He urged all parties to respect civilian rights, adhere to the Geneva Conventions, and abandon harmful practices.
Commissioner Hanny Megally revealed that investigations are underway into reported attacks on civilian infrastructure in Aleppo, including strikes on a hospital and a university dormitory. Other incidents, such as airstrikes in Idlib and other heavily populated regions, are also being scrutinized.
“These attacks, combined with swift territorial shifts, are displacing large numbers of civilians,” Megally noted, emphasizing the dire humanitarian consequences. The commission is also closely monitoring the treatment of vulnerable groups, including minorities and prisoners of war, as opposition forces push into government-held territories.
The statement highlighted the precarious situation in northern Aleppo, describing it as “volatile.”
Syria’s civil war, which began in 2011, continues to claim lives and destabilize regions. In a recent development, anti-regime forces launched a surprise offensive, capturing Aleppo and other strategic locations, adding to the complexity of the conflict.
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