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Syrian Forces Said to Drive Deeper Into Rebel-Held Aleppo Syrian Forces Said to Drive Deeper Into Rebel-Held Aleppo
(about 9 hours later)
BEIRUT, Lebanon — Syrian government forces pushed deeper into Aleppo on Wednesday, seizing areas around the medieval citadel whose narrow streets had long given rebels cover, pro-government websites and conflict monitors reported.BEIRUT, Lebanon — Syrian government forces pushed deeper into Aleppo on Wednesday, seizing areas around the medieval citadel whose narrow streets had long given rebels cover, pro-government websites and conflict monitors reported.
Rebel leaders disputed the claims, but anti-government activists in the area sent increasingly desperate messages saying they believed they would soon be killed or arrested, while civilians said they were squeezing into a smaller and smaller area, with some calling for safe passage out. Rebel leaders disputed the claims, but antigovernment activists in the area sent increasingly desperate messages saying they believed they would soon be killed or arrested, while civilians said they were squeezing into a smaller and smaller area, with some calling for safe passage out.
A rebel fighter with the Nour al-Din al-Zenki group, reached in a hiding place near the Old City, said that several neighborhoods had fallen and that defeat appeared inevitable. “Aleppo has fallen,” he said. “If there are no U.N. initiatives, I expect the regime will exterminate us all.”A rebel fighter with the Nour al-Din al-Zenki group, reached in a hiding place near the Old City, said that several neighborhoods had fallen and that defeat appeared inevitable. “Aleppo has fallen,” he said. “If there are no U.N. initiatives, I expect the regime will exterminate us all.”
Several civilians confirmed that the government was continuing its advance into the Old City. Al Manar, Hezbollah’s television channel, quoting Syrian military officials, reported that pro-government forces had allowed rebels to leave through a designated corridor to other rebel-held areas to spare the historical quarter from further destruction.Several civilians confirmed that the government was continuing its advance into the Old City. Al Manar, Hezbollah’s television channel, quoting Syrian military officials, reported that pro-government forces had allowed rebels to leave through a designated corridor to other rebel-held areas to spare the historical quarter from further destruction.
Rebels were asking for all civilians who wished to leave to be given safe passage to rebel-held areas, but not to the province of Idlib, where fighters and civilians not wishing to go to government areas have been bused in previous surrender deals. Instead, rebels asked for safe passage to the countryside in the north of the province of Aleppo.Rebels were asking for all civilians who wished to leave to be given safe passage to rebel-held areas, but not to the province of Idlib, where fighters and civilians not wishing to go to government areas have been bused in previous surrender deals. Instead, rebels asked for safe passage to the countryside in the north of the province of Aleppo.
A statement said to be from all the rebel groups in Aleppo, issued on Wednesday, said that Idlib was already too full of displaced people and was a target of intensive Russian and government airstrikes.A statement said to be from all the rebel groups in Aleppo, issued on Wednesday, said that Idlib was already too full of displaced people and was a target of intensive Russian and government airstrikes.
The statement also called for a five-day humanitarian cease-fire and for the evacuation of about 500 people in need of emergency medical care, under United Nations supervision with security guarantees. Only then, it said, would the fighters discuss a settlement.The statement also called for a five-day humanitarian cease-fire and for the evacuation of about 500 people in need of emergency medical care, under United Nations supervision with security guarantees. Only then, it said, would the fighters discuss a settlement.
“Once the humanitarian situation has been alleviated in Aleppo city, the parties concerned can negotiate the future of the city,” the statement said. “What Aleppo has experienced in the last five months is nothing short of a war of extermination against its civilian population.”“Once the humanitarian situation has been alleviated in Aleppo city, the parties concerned can negotiate the future of the city,” the statement said. “What Aleppo has experienced in the last five months is nothing short of a war of extermination against its civilian population.”
But the rebels’ bargaining power is shrinking with their territory, and as one of their main backers, Turkey, appears to be slackening support. Government officials say they will not slow their advance, asserting that they are liberating eastern Aleppo from radical jihadists holding people there hostage.But the rebels’ bargaining power is shrinking with their territory, and as one of their main backers, Turkey, appears to be slackening support. Government officials say they will not slow their advance, asserting that they are liberating eastern Aleppo from radical jihadists holding people there hostage.
Government officials issued triumphant statements. Fares Chehabi, a member of Parliament from Aleppo, declared on Twitter that, “The Syrian army is about to end the largest & the longest hostage crisis in history by liberating all of E Aleppo.” Government officials issued triumphant statements. Fares Shehabi, a member of Parliament from Aleppo, declared on Twitter, “The Syrian army is about to end the largest & the longest hostage crisis in history by liberating all of E Aleppo.”
Russian officials have said that anyone who chooses to remain in the rebel-held areas of the city will be considered terrorists and will be “destroyed,” as the foreign minister, Sergey V. Lavrov, said on Tuesday. But no agreement has been reached on how the evacuation would work.Russian officials have said that anyone who chooses to remain in the rebel-held areas of the city will be considered terrorists and will be “destroyed,” as the foreign minister, Sergey V. Lavrov, said on Tuesday. But no agreement has been reached on how the evacuation would work.
In a joint statement, the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States warned that “a humanitarian disaster is taking place before our very eyes.” The statement condemned the Syrian government and its allies, especially Russia. In a joint statement, the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Britain and the United States warned that “a humanitarian disaster is taking place before our very eyes.” The statement condemned the Syrian government and its allies, especially Russia.
The statement cited an urgent need for an immediate cease-fire to provide assistance to 200,000 people in eastern Aleppo and relief to those who have fled, and it called on Russia and Iran to pressure the Syrian government to endorse the United Nations’ plan for Aleppo.The statement cited an urgent need for an immediate cease-fire to provide assistance to 200,000 people in eastern Aleppo and relief to those who have fled, and it called on Russia and Iran to pressure the Syrian government to endorse the United Nations’ plan for Aleppo.
Josh Earnest, the White House press secretary, said that the recent effort by the leaders of six Western nations to seek yet another diplomatic solution to the Syrian civil war was in part meant to “apply pressure to Russia” because Russia is complicit in the deaths of innocent civilians there.
“The president doesn’t believe it’s an effective strategy to gloss over or somehow obscure Russia’s complicity,” Mr. Earnest said. “We actually believe that Russia bears special responsibility” because of its intervention on behalf of the government of President Bashar al-Assad.
The government has accused rebels of preventing civilians from leaving and of holding them as bargaining chips. Rebels say the routes are not safe and that some civilians are afraid to leave for fear of arrest or conscription once they reach government territory.The government has accused rebels of preventing civilians from leaving and of holding them as bargaining chips. Rebels say the routes are not safe and that some civilians are afraid to leave for fear of arrest or conscription once they reach government territory.
Approximately 30,000 have fled to government-held areas of Aleppo from rebel-held districts in the past week, according to international humanitarian officials. Others — it is not known how many — have been displaced from their homes inside the rebel enclave, and still others have fled to a neighborhood controlled by Kurdish militias, hoping to reach other rebel-held areas.Approximately 30,000 have fled to government-held areas of Aleppo from rebel-held districts in the past week, according to international humanitarian officials. Others — it is not known how many — have been displaced from their homes inside the rebel enclave, and still others have fled to a neighborhood controlled by Kurdish militias, hoping to reach other rebel-held areas.
Years of aerial bombing and artillery bombardment have wrecked many eastern Aleppo neighborhoods, destroying medical clinics, schools and homes. Rebels have also indiscriminately shelled government-held neighborhoods in western Aleppo. Years of aerial bombing and artillery bombardment have wrecked many eastern Aleppo neighborhoods, destroying clinics, schools and homes. Rebels have also indiscriminately shelled government-held neighborhoods in western Aleppo.
Yasser Hmeish, an antigovernment activist, said that he had left his family to travel to a hospital in a different area, only to hear later that the neighborhood where he lived had been taken by the government. Yasser Hmeish, an antigovernment activist, said he had left his family to travel to a hospital in a different area, only to hear later that the neighborhood where he lived had been taken by the government.
“I don’t know anything, anything about them,” he said in an audio message, his voice breaking, adding that the internet service seemed to have failed.“I don’t know anything, anything about them,” he said in an audio message, his voice breaking, adding that the internet service seemed to have failed.
He said that he was speaking from a makeshift medical clinic and that doctors were working in secret basement locations after being driven from hospitals. There were dozens of wounded and dead around him, including children, he added.He said that he was speaking from a makeshift medical clinic and that doctors were working in secret basement locations after being driven from hospitals. There were dozens of wounded and dead around him, including children, he added.
“My neighbors have died, they were brought here,” he said. “I couldn’t ask them where is my family.” “My neighbors have died; they were brought here,” he said. “I couldn’t ask them, “Where is my family?”
The latest round of fighting has killed at least 341 people, including 44 children, in rebel-held Aleppo, and 81 people, including 31 children, in government-held districts, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring organization based in Britain.The latest round of fighting has killed at least 341 people, including 44 children, in rebel-held Aleppo, and 81 people, including 31 children, in government-held districts, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring organization based in Britain.
The growing chaos in Aleppo came as a suspected Israeli attack hit the Mezze air base, minutes from downtown Damascus, the Syrian capital, according to the Lebanese news channel Al Mayadeen, which showed pictures of the complex burning. The base has been critical to the government’s fight against rebels in nearby suburbs. It also houses a prison. About half of the people fleeing east Aleppo are children, said Hanaa Singer, Unicef’s Syria representative, describing hard conditions in camps for the displaced in cold and muddy weather. During her recent visit, she said, more than 100 mortar rounds had fallen on government-held areas of Aleppo in a few days — killing a volunteer, Ahmed Tawfik, 24, an economics student, who had been working with displaced children — while heavy bombardment echoed constantly nearby in eastern Aleppo.
Israel has periodically struck targets in Syria during the war, apparently targeting Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group, which is fighting on the side of the Syrian government and has long used Syria as a conduit for weapons deliveries from Iran. The attack on the air base would be one of the closest strikes to Damascus and one of the most direct on Syrian government facilities. Children at the camp, she said, “shared stories of how they cowered for days and weeks in dark and damp basements in fear of the shelling in besieged east Aleppo.”
Hezbollah’s military press office released a statement saying that Israel had launched surface-to-surface missiles that hit near Mezze air base at 3 a.m., causing a fire but no casualties. She added: “They shared their dark memories of destruction, and the smell of dead bodies under the rubble. They said they were happy to be outside, to enjoy the sun and feel the air. To be able to sing and to play. But they missed friends, fathers and elder brothers. They missed their schools. They missed their books, games, and one girl was missing her teddy bear.”
The growing chaos in Aleppo came as an attack suspected to have been carried out by Israel hit the Mezze air base, minutes from downtown Damascus, the Syrian capital, according to the Lebanese news channel Al Mayadeen, which showed pictures of the complex burning. The base has been critical to the government’s fight against rebels in nearby suburbs. It also houses a prison.