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Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Sunday urged the Syrian transitional government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to protect civilians and comply with the international human rights law following renewed fighting in northeast Syria.
The group warned that civilians have borne the brunt of the escalation and discouraged both sides from arbitrarily obstructing humanitarian assistance or restricting access to essential resources like water and electricity.
Deputy Middle East Director Adam Coogle said, “In the propaganda ping-pong…civilians are paying the highest price.” He added that territorial gains cannot be pursued at the expense of civilian rights.
Clashes began on January 6 in Aleppo’s predominantly Kurdish Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods. The conflict expanded around January 17, when transitional government authorities reportedly took control of Raqqa and Deir Ezzor and advanced toward areas in al-Hasakah.
Although sides agreed to halt hostilities on January 18, observers have reported repeated violations. On January 20, parties purportedly agreed to a four-day ceasefire.
HRW reported that civilians attempting to flee conflict zones in Aleppo faced sniper fire and shelling along designated escape routes. The organization said it received credible reports of prolonged electricity and water outages in Aleppo and al-Hasakah during the fighting and warned that deliberate weaponization of utilities–in ways that disproportionately harm civilians–may amount to a war crime.
Additionally, online videos reportedly show arrests of Kurdish residents in Aleppo. HRW said it could not confirm the affiliation of those detained, but emphasized that international law prohibits arbitrary detention and that detainees must be treated humanely and allowed contact with family.
The UN expressed concerns earlier this month about the deteriorating security situation in Syria, warning that repeated breakdowns of ceasefire arrangements have created conditions for instability
The conflict unfolds against a fragile political backdrop. Since Bashar al-Assad’s fall in December 2024, Syria’s transitional administration, led by Ahmad al-Sharaa, has faced mounting economic, social, and political pressure. Al-Sharaa has pushed to consolidate armed actors into a single national army, rejecting the SDF’s calls for a more decentralized security model that would preserve local administrative and policing autonomy in northeast Syria.
Before the latest escalation, the SDF controlled roughly 30 percent of Syrian territory and worked closely with US forces in the region during operations against the Islamic State. .
The post Rights group calls for civilian protection amid renewed clashes in Syria appeared first on JURIST - News.
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The group warned that civilians have borne the brunt of the escalation and discouraged both sides from arbitrarily obstructing humanitarian assistance or restricting access to essential resources like water and electricity.
Deputy Middle East Director Adam Coogle said, “In the propaganda ping-pong…civilians are paying the highest price.” He added that territorial gains cannot be pursued at the expense of civilian rights.
Clashes began on January 6 in Aleppo’s predominantly Kurdish Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods. The conflict expanded around January 17, when transitional government authorities reportedly took control of Raqqa and Deir Ezzor and advanced toward areas in al-Hasakah.
Although sides agreed to halt hostilities on January 18, observers have reported repeated violations. On January 20, parties purportedly agreed to a four-day ceasefire.
HRW reported that civilians attempting to flee conflict zones in Aleppo faced sniper fire and shelling along designated escape routes. The organization said it received credible reports of prolonged electricity and water outages in Aleppo and al-Hasakah during the fighting and warned that deliberate weaponization of utilities–in ways that disproportionately harm civilians–may amount to a war crime.
Additionally, online videos reportedly show arrests of Kurdish residents in Aleppo. HRW said it could not confirm the affiliation of those detained, but emphasized that international law prohibits arbitrary detention and that detainees must be treated humanely and allowed contact with family.
The UN expressed concerns earlier this month about the deteriorating security situation in Syria, warning that repeated breakdowns of ceasefire arrangements have created conditions for instability
The conflict unfolds against a fragile political backdrop. Since Bashar al-Assad’s fall in December 2024, Syria’s transitional administration, led by Ahmad al-Sharaa, has faced mounting economic, social, and political pressure. Al-Sharaa has pushed to consolidate armed actors into a single national army, rejecting the SDF’s calls for a more decentralized security model that would preserve local administrative and policing autonomy in northeast Syria.
Before the latest escalation, the SDF controlled roughly 30 percent of Syrian territory and worked closely with US forces in the region during operations against the Islamic State. .
The post Rights group calls for civilian protection amid renewed clashes in Syria appeared first on JURIST - News.
Continue reading...
Note: We don't have any responsibilities about this news. Its been posted here by Feed Reader and we had no controls and checking on it. And because News posted here will be deleted automatically after 21 days, threads are closed so that no one spend time to post and discuss here. You can always check the source and discuss in their site.