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| Syria war: Ghouta pounded as UN tussles over ceasefire | Syria war: Ghouta pounded as UN tussles over ceasefire |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| The UN Security Council is struggling to agree a resolution seeking a ceasefire in Syria as a rebel-held area has been bombarded for a sixth day. | The UN Security Council is struggling to agree a resolution seeking a ceasefire in Syria as a rebel-held area has been bombarded for a sixth day. |
| Russia wanted changes to a draft that calls for a 30-day calm to allow for aid deliveries and medical evacuations. | Russia wanted changes to a draft that calls for a 30-day calm to allow for aid deliveries and medical evacuations. |
| Western diplomats have accused Russia, Syria's key ally, of stalling for time. France said failure to act may spell the end of the UN itself. | Western diplomats have accused Russia, Syria's key ally, of stalling for time. France said failure to act may spell the end of the UN itself. |
| Activists say 426 people in the Eastern Ghouta have been killed this week. | Activists say 426 people in the Eastern Ghouta have been killed this week. |
| Warplanes maintained the bombardment on Friday, witnesses said. Douma and Hamouriyeh were among areas hit. | Warplanes maintained the bombardment on Friday, witnesses said. Douma and Hamouriyeh were among areas hit. |
| Diplomats have announced that the UN Security Council will vote on the resolution in New York at 11:00 (16:00 GMT), but did not say whether a deal with Russia had been agreed. | Diplomats have announced that the UN Security Council will vote on the resolution in New York at 11:00 (16:00 GMT), but did not say whether a deal with Russia had been agreed. |
| Western powers suspect that Moscow wants to give Syria time to deal a final blow to rebel forces in the rebel-held enclave on the edge of Damascus. | Western powers suspect that Moscow wants to give Syria time to deal a final blow to rebel forces in the rebel-held enclave on the edge of Damascus. |
| The United States, the UK and France have called for the resolution to be approved without delay. UN special envoy Staffan de Mistura said a truce had to be followed by immediate, unhindered access to the Eastern Ghouta. | The United States, the UK and France have called for the resolution to be approved without delay. UN special envoy Staffan de Mistura said a truce had to be followed by immediate, unhindered access to the Eastern Ghouta. |
| What does the resolution say? | What does the resolution say? |
| The draft, put forward by Kuwait and Sweden, calls for a nationwide truce to go into effect 72 hours after the resolution is passed. | The draft, put forward by Kuwait and Sweden, calls for a nationwide truce to go into effect 72 hours after the resolution is passed. |
| Medical evacuations and aid deliveries would start 48 hours after that. The draft says 5.6 million people in 1,244 communities across the country are in acute need. | Medical evacuations and aid deliveries would start 48 hours after that. The draft says 5.6 million people in 1,244 communities across the country are in acute need. |
| Sweden's UN ambassador Olof Skoog told the BBC that getting aid to the Eastern Ghouta, where conditions were described by the UN secretary general as "hell on earth", was the main objective. | Sweden's UN ambassador Olof Skoog told the BBC that getting aid to the Eastern Ghouta, where conditions were described by the UN secretary general as "hell on earth", was the main objective. |
| "I think that without the pressure coming from a united Security Council things are not happening the way they should on the ground," he said. | "I think that without the pressure coming from a united Security Council things are not happening the way they should on the ground," he said. |
| "So I think for the council it's a little bit less about the details and more about giving a political pressure to ensure that this happens." | "So I think for the council it's a little bit less about the details and more about giving a political pressure to ensure that this happens." |
| France's UN ambassador François Delattre said the UN's inability to help Syrian civilians would result in a devastating loss of credibility. | France's UN ambassador François Delattre said the UN's inability to help Syrian civilians would result in a devastating loss of credibility. |
| "The Syrian tragedy must not also become a graveyard for the United Nations," he added. | "The Syrian tragedy must not also become a graveyard for the United Nations," he added. |
| The draft resolution also calls for all parties to avoid establishing military positions in civilian areas, including schools and hospitals. Sieges of populated areas should be lifted. | The draft resolution also calls for all parties to avoid establishing military positions in civilian areas, including schools and hospitals. Sieges of populated areas should be lifted. |
| What are the Russian objections? | What are the Russian objections? |
| Under the terms of the draft resolution, any ceasefire would not apply to the Islamic State group, or the Nusra Front - formerly al-Qaeda's official affiliate in Syria. | Under the terms of the draft resolution, any ceasefire would not apply to the Islamic State group, or the Nusra Front - formerly al-Qaeda's official affiliate in Syria. |
| But Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says it must go further and exclude other groups "co-operating with them" and which have shelled Damascus. | But Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says it must go further and exclude other groups "co-operating with them" and which have shelled Damascus. |
| This could include the two biggest rebel groups in Eastern Ghouta - Jaish al-Islam and its rival Faylaq al-Rahman. Faylaq al-Rahman has in the past fought alongside the jihadist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an alliance of factions led by the Nusra Front. | |
| Russia's UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia stressed the need for a resolution that would actually work. | Russia's UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia stressed the need for a resolution that would actually work. |
| "What we need is not symbolism, not decisions for the sake of decisions, but rather measures that are undertaken that are commensurate with conditions on the ground," he said. | "What we need is not symbolism, not decisions for the sake of decisions, but rather measures that are undertaken that are commensurate with conditions on the ground," he said. |
| Meanwhile, two of Russia's most advanced fighter planes, Su-57s, have been sent to its coastal Hmeimim airbase, Russian military sources told BBC Russian. | Meanwhile, two of Russia's most advanced fighter planes, Su-57s, have been sent to its coastal Hmeimim airbase, Russian military sources told BBC Russian. |
| The sources said the stealth fighter planes were still undergoing flight tests and there was no confirmation they had yet been used in combat. | The sources said the stealth fighter planes were still undergoing flight tests and there was no confirmation they had yet been used in combat. |
| How bad is the situation in the Eastern Ghouta? | How bad is the situation in the Eastern Ghouta? |
| For the fifth day running, Syrian government forces carried out a wave of air and artillery strikes on Thursday. | For the fifth day running, Syrian government forces carried out a wave of air and artillery strikes on Thursday. |
| The US has also accused Russia of attacking Ghouta, allegations that Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed as "groundless". | The US has also accused Russia of attacking Ghouta, allegations that Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed as "groundless". |
| The number killed since Sunday has risen to 426, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group says, at least 98 of them children. | The number killed since Sunday has risen to 426, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group says, at least 98 of them children. |
| Barrel bombs and shell fire have also rained down on the area, where some 393,000 people remain trapped. | Barrel bombs and shell fire have also rained down on the area, where some 393,000 people remain trapped. |
| The Syrian state news agency meanwhile reported on Thursday that a child was killed and six civilians wounded in the government-controlled Barzeh district of Damascus by rebel shellfire. Army units responded with "precision strikes", destroying a number of rebel positions and inflicting heavy losses, it said. | The Syrian state news agency meanwhile reported on Thursday that a child was killed and six civilians wounded in the government-controlled Barzeh district of Damascus by rebel shellfire. Army units responded with "precision strikes", destroying a number of rebel positions and inflicting heavy losses, it said. |
| The UN humanitarian co-ordinator for Syria, Panos Moumtzis, echoed calls for a ceasefire. | The UN humanitarian co-ordinator for Syria, Panos Moumtzis, echoed calls for a ceasefire. |
| Referring to the harrowing images coming out of the Eastern Ghouta, he said: "If this is not going to convince [UN Security] council members, council states, of the need for a ceasefire, honestly we don't know what is it that would convince them." | Referring to the harrowing images coming out of the Eastern Ghouta, he said: "If this is not going to convince [UN Security] council members, council states, of the need for a ceasefire, honestly we don't know what is it that would convince them." |
| The Syrian government has denied targeting civilians and insisted it is trying to liberate the Eastern Ghouta from "terrorists" - a term it has used to describe both jihadist militants and the mainstream rebel groups that dominate the enclave. | The Syrian government has denied targeting civilians and insisted it is trying to liberate the Eastern Ghouta from "terrorists" - a term it has used to describe both jihadist militants and the mainstream rebel groups that dominate the enclave. |
| Aid groups report dozens of hospitals being put out of action since Sunday. | Aid groups report dozens of hospitals being put out of action since Sunday. |
| Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) said the government's siege was also preventing medics from obtaining essential life-saving supplies, warning that its facilities had completely run out of supplies of blood bags, general anaesthetic drugs and intravenous antibiotics. | Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) said the government's siege was also preventing medics from obtaining essential life-saving supplies, warning that its facilities had completely run out of supplies of blood bags, general anaesthetic drugs and intravenous antibiotics. |