The UN Syria Commission of Inquiry warning of escalating violence across multiple frontlines in Syria
Geneva – The UN Syria Commission of Inquiry released its latest report today, warning of escalating violence across multiple frontlines in Syria, with fears of a broader conflict intensifying.
“The long-standing deadly dynamics are reigniting new waves of hostilities,” stated Commission Chair Paulo Pinheiro. “Recent direct clashes in northeast Syria around Deir-ez-Zor between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Arab tribes, Government forces, and Iran-backed militias highlight deep-seated grievances in this region.”
Increased regional tensions, particularly due to the conflict in Palestine, have also led to intensified Israeli airstrikes targeting Iranian officials and militias across Syria, causing civilian casualties in at least three instances. The Commission continues to investigate these airstrikes, including a recent one in Hama province. Iranian-backed groups have also launched more than 100 attacks on US bases in eastern Syria since the Gaza conflict began, prompting US counterattacks. During the reporting period from 1 January to 30 June, six foreign militaries remained active in Syria.
In northwest Syria, intensified violence resulted in significant civilian casualties due to unlawful attacks by Syrian Government forces, including the use of cluster munitions in densely populated areas of Idlib. In the incidents investigated by the Commission, over 150 civilians—half of them women and children—were killed or injured, predominantly in indiscriminate attacks by Government forces, which may constitute war crimes. Russian airstrikes also contributed to civilian casualties in Idlib.
Turkish forces conducted numerous operations targeting SDF military positions in northeast Syria. The Commission investigated Turkish airstrikes, including those last winter that damaged medical facilities and destroyed turbines at a power plant in Swediyah, Hasakah. These strikes, which disrupted access to essential services for over a million people, were deemed unlawful. Airstrikes in May also hit ambulances marked with protective emblems, violating international humanitarian law.
Southern Syria continues to suffer from violence and insecurity, particularly in areas reclaimed by the Government. The Commission has opened a full investigation into an April 7 massacre in Daraa, where a pro-Government militia, composed largely of former rebels, executed ten civilians, including two children. The perpetrators, chanting Islamic State slogans, used knives and point-blank gunshots, committing acts that could qualify as war crimes.
“The massacre in Daraa bears the hallmarks of some of the most egregious atrocities committed during Syria’s decade-long conflict,” said Commissioner Hanny Megally. “Government forces, stationed just meters away, failed to intervene, demonstrating how Syria is sinking further into lawlessness. Predatory security forces and factions use violence, detention, and threats to extort civilians. Those who run afoul of authorities risk arrest, torture, rape, or death.”
The Commission also found reasonable grounds to believe that the Syrian Government continues to engage in torture, including sexual and gender-based violence, despite an International Court of Justice ruling ordering the cessation of such practices. Deaths in Syrian state custody persist, with authorities obstructing families’ efforts to locate arbitrarily detained relatives. Some families have been forced to pay bribes for information about detainees, with the government sometimes issuing death notifications a decade after the fact.
Detention abuses remain widespread across Syria. The Commission documented instances of torture and executions of detainees by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in the northwest, as well as by factions of the Syrian National Army (SNA) in the north. Nearly 30,000 children remain interned under appalling conditions in Al Hawl and Rawj camps by the SDF, due to their parents’ alleged ties to ISIL.
“Shockingly, Yazidi women, girls, and boys—survivors of the Yazidi genocide—have been detained alongside their persecutors in Al Hawl camp for over five years,” said Commissioner Lynn Welchman. She urged the immediate release of all Yazidis held in these camps, ten years after ISIL’s brutal assault on the Yazidi community in Sinjar.
The Commission warned that Syria is slipping further into a humanitarian crisis. Only a quarter of this year’s humanitarian needs are funded, despite the fact that more than 13 million Syrians face acute food insecurity, and over 650,000 children are suffering from severe malnutrition.
Widespread protests have erupted across the country, fueled by economic collapse, cuts in subsidies, and local corruption. In the northwest, unprecedented demonstrations called for the ousting of HTS leader Al-Joulani and the release of detainees. In Government-controlled Suwayda, protests have continued for over a year, despite incidents where security forces used violence and live ammunition against demonstrators.
“Syrians who courageously take to the streets to demand their rights should be heard, not repressed. Syria remains highly unsafe,” Megally said, stressing that no Syrian refugee should be forcibly returned under the current circumstances.
Source: United Nations Human Rights Council
Ibraheem Jabr is a seasoned legal professional with extensive expertise in international law, human rights, and commercial legal support. Based in Eindhoven, Netherlands,Ibraheem is the Founder and Legal Counsel at Legal Bridge, where they provide expert legal advice to EU-based government agencies and law firms navigating the complex legal landscape of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.