The Syrian Network for Human Rights issued a new report today, Friday, highlighting the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Syria and documenting the deaths of 89 civilians in October 2024. Among the victims were 25 children, 12 women, and four victims who died under torture, including a child. The report also recorded the deaths of 12 civilians, including four children and six women, due to Israeli shelling.
The report noted that the Syrian regime has refrained from officially registering hundreds of thousands of deaths since the conflict began in March 2011. It highlighted that death certificates have become a tool for the regime to exert control; most families have not been allowed to obtain death certificates for their relatives, whether the deceased were killed by the regime or other parties. Families fear requesting these documents, worrying that their relatives could be labeled as opponents of the regime, particularly in cases involving deaths from torture or where victims might be classified as "terrorists" if they were wanted by security agencies.
The report also revealed that the Syrian regime was responsible for the deaths of 12 civilians, including three children, in October, while Russian airstrikes killed 11 people, including four children. The Syrian Democratic Forces killed three civilians, including a child, while one civilian was killed by both opposition factions and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. The majority of the victims—61 people, including 17 children and 11 women—were killed by other parties.
According to the report, Daraa Governorate saw the highest number of casualties, accounting for 26% of the total, with 21 people killed by various actors. This was followed by Idlib Governorate, with 19%, due to Syrian and Russian shelling, where 16 people lost their lives.
The network also documented the deaths of four people under torture by the Syrian regime, including a child, as well as the killing of two medical personnel by other parties.
Regarding Israeli attacks, the report stated that airstrikes on civilian areas in Lebanon resulted in hundreds of casualties, including at least 101 Syrian refugees, among them 36 children and 19 women, during the period from September 23 to the end of October 2024.
Baladi news- Jad Abbarah
The report documented 10 attacks on civilian facilities in October, noting that some of these attacks directly targeted civilians and civilian infrastructure. It highlighted the widespread destruction caused by indiscriminate shelling, which may constitute war crimes under international law.
The report emphasized that the use of explosions in crowded areas demonstrates a clear intent to cause maximum casualties, which is a flagrant violation of international law and the Fourth Geneva Convention, specifically articles 27, 31, and 32. It also noted that the Syrian regime and its allies, including Russian forces and the international coalition forces, issued no warnings to civilians before these attacks, reflecting disregard for civilian lives since the conflict began.
The report argued that the intensity and frequency of violations, alongside indiscriminate shelling, indicate a systematic policy by the regime. It noted that opposition factions/the National Army violated UN Security Council Resolution 2139 by conducting attacks that caused civilian casualties.
In concluding the report, the UN Security Council was urged to take new steps under Resolution 2254, stressing the need to refer the Syrian file to the International Criminal Court to hold all those involved in human rights violations accountable. The report encouraged UN agencies to increase food and medical aid in affected areas.
The report recommended activating the "Responsibility to Protect" (R2P) principle in Syria following the failure of previous agreements, emphasizing the need to invoke Chapter VII of the UN Charter to protect civilians. It also highlighted the necessity of creating mine maps to facilitate their removal and called on the International Commission of Inquiry to investigate the cases mentioned in the report, confirming the Syrian Network’s readiness to provide evidence.
The report concluded with recommendations for the Syrian regime to cease indiscriminate shelling of residential areas and public facilities. It called on all parties to the conflict to disclose the locations of landmines to protect civilians, reiterating the call to end torture in detention centers, achieve justice, and protect civilians.