SNHR Report: Syrians and Refugees Continue to be Killed

 The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) released its latest report, documenting the deaths of 50 civilians in Syria in September 2024, including 13 children and six women. The report also revealed that 96 Syrian refugees were killed in the Israeli offensive on Lebanon, among them 36 children and 19 women, between September 23 and 30.

The 23-page report highlights the ongoing civilian casualties amid Syria’s protracted conflict. It attributes the deaths of 18 civilians, including three children and two women, to Assad regime forces. “Armed opposition factions and the Syrian National Army (SNA) were responsible for two civilian deaths, while Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) were linked to one.”

The report emphasizes the plight of victims who died under torture, noting that 10 people, including a child, died from torture in September – nine at the hands of regime forces and one by other actors. Additionally, a medical worker was killed by regime forces during the month.

SNHR also documented 10 attacks on vital civilian facilities in Syria in September, nine of which were carried out by regime forces. One attack was attributed to “armed opposition factions.” The organization states that some attacks appeared to intentionally target civilians, which constitutes a war crime under international law.

The Assad regime’s continued refusal to register civilian deaths in official records, was documented, particularly for those detained or forcibly disappeared. Families of victims face significant challenges in obtaining death certificates, often due to fears of reprisals or the regime labeling their loved ones as dissidents or terrorists.

The SNHR called on the international community to take urgent action, urging the UN Security Council to refer Syria to the International Criminal Court (ICC.) The report also advocates for the implementation of the “Responsibility to Protect” doctrine, citing the regime’s ongoing violations of international humanitarian law.

In Lebanon, Israeli airstrikes on civilian areas resulted in the deaths of 96 Syrian refugees. SNHR stresses that these strikes targeted densely populated regions, leading to a high number of civilian casualties.

The report concludes with recommendations for the international community, including calls for increased humanitarian assistance and the creation of maps to identify landmine and cluster munition locations across Syria.