The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) reported on Tuesday that 89 civilians were killed in Syria in October 2024, marking another grim chapter in the country’s protracted conflict. The casualties included 25 children and 12 women, with four individuals, including a child, dying due to torture. The report, spanning 29 pages, highlighted not only civilian deaths but also massacres, extrajudicial killings, and attacks on vital facilities throughout the month.
The SNHR report documented that Assad regime forces murdered 12 Syrians, including three children, while Russian forces killed 11 civilians, including four children. The Syrian National Army (SNA) and other armed FSA factions were responsible for the death of one woman, and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) killed three civilians, including a child. Additionally, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) was responsible for one death, while 61 civilians, including 17 children and 11 women, were killed by unknown parties, mostly due to remnants of ordnance.
Daraa governorate bore the brunt of the violence, with 26% of civilian deaths occurring there, largely at the hands of various non-state actors. Idlib followed with 19% of the total deaths, driven by strikes from Assad and Russian forces.
The report highlighted the severe conditions faced by Syrians returning from Lebanon, revealing that many faced abuse, arbitrary detention, and extortion at checkpoints controlled by regime-affiliated forces. These findings align with an October 30 statement from Human Rights Watch (HRW) that warned of repression and arrests targeting returnees, with at least four cases documented since late September.
The document mentioned that the UN Independent Commission on Syria head, Paulo Pinheiro, highlighted the impact of Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon, which between September 23 and October 31 resulted in hundreds of civilian deaths, including 101 Syrian refugees, 36 of whom were children.
SNHR expressed concerns over deliberate attacks on civilian infrastructure, noting 10 assaults on key facilities in October. The report argued that such acts could constitute war crimes under international law, pointing to a pattern of indiscriminate bombardment and state-directed violence aimed at maximizing civilian harm.
The report called on the UN Security Council to act beyond resolution 2254 by referring the Syrian conflict to the International Criminal Court (ICC). It also urged international agencies to bolster humanitarian aid, including food and medical support, particularly for displaced persons.
SNHR reiterated its call for all conflict parties to disclose landmine locations to prevent civilian casualties and facilitate clearance efforts while emphasizing the need for an international commitment to the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) principle and Chapter VII of the UN Charter.
