Legal analysis regarding the targeting of civilians and civilian objects in Syria

October 3, 2016

For more than 5 years, Syria has been suffering a terrible conflict that has caused death and destruction, resulting in gross international law violations, in a seemingly endless and indescribable cruel chaos. Parties to the conflict in Syria, on all sides, have deliberately targeted and bombarded civilian-inhabited areas, launching missiles and rockets on areas containing no discernible military targets. Unarmed civilians are killed in their own homes or on the streets. Medical and humanitarian personnel and teachers are denied protection and are intentionally targeted and killed.

Al-Marsad's latest publication provides a legal analysis of the relevant rules of international human rights law and international humanitarian law - specific to civilians and civilian objects - that must be observed by all armed groups involved in the conflict.

The publication is available here:

 Legal analysis regarding the targeting of civilians and civilian objects in Syria

Releated Posts


Publication of a new map of Syrian villages and farms destroyed by Israel
Al-Marsad has published a new map (available here) of Syrian villages and farms destroyed by the Israeli occupation forces during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War and the subsequent occupation of the Syrian Golan; and the Israeli settlements that were built on their ruins.
Call for the international community to strongly reject Israel’s rhetoric regarding the Occupied Syrian Golan
Al-Marsad calls on the international community to strongly reject Israel’s latest attempts to obtain international acceptance of its illegal occupation and annexation of the Syrian Golan / Golan Heights.
Al-Marsad meets with representatives of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF)
Al-Marsad met with representatives of the United Nations mission. Al-Marsad was assured that its concerns have been taken into serious consideration and that UNDOF is willing to further its cooperation with Al-Marsad.
Britain, Netherlands and Ireland condemn violations of international law by Israel in the Occupied Syrian Golan
Britain, Netherlands and Ireland have condemned ongoing violations of international law by Israel in the Occupied Syrian Golan that include illegal settlement expansion, natural resource exploitation, land appropriation and home demolition.
Al-Marsad calls on international community to act over settlement expansion and land appropriation
In October, the Israeli Finance Ministry approved plans for the construction of 1600 settlement units in the illegal Israeli settlement of Katzrin. With a population of 8000, Katzrin is the largest Israeli settlement in the Occupied Syrian Golan.