Opposition Reveals Plan for Political Transition

The Syrian opposition High Negotiations Committee (HNC) unveiled on Wednesday their plan for a political transition in Syria that would see the removal of President Bashar al-Assad, the BBC reported.

The first phase of the plan, which was unveiled in London, is a six-month negotiation between the opposition and Assad’s government, in addition to a nationwide ceasefire and lifting of all sieges during the talks. Following the negotiation phase, a period lasting roughly a year and a half would see Assad and members of his government step down, ceding full executive power to a transitional governing body. Finally, a new constitution would be established and then United Nations-supervised elections would take place.

The conflict in Syria has now entered its sixth year and claimed the lives of some 400,000 people, but the proposed plan for a political transition is not likely to succeed, experts said.

“The regime in Damascus will dismiss it, because Assad seems more secure in the capital than at any other time since the war started,” according to Jeremy Bowen, the BBC Middle East editor in Damascus.

Alleged Chlorine Gas Attack In Aleppo

At least 120 people, including 10 women and 37 children, were hurt in a suspected chlorine gas attack in Aleppo city on Tuesday night.

Doctors and media activists on the scene said the substance believed to be chlorine gas was launched from barrel bombs dropped onto the al-Sukkari district of opposition-held eastern Aleppo. At least one man died in the attack, according to the New York Times.

The Aleppo Health Directorate issued a statement following the attack, appealing “to all medical and humanitarian organisations in this world which see and hear all that is happening without moving a finger to stop this genocide against a people who have committed no crime except to demand to live with freedom and dignity like other peoples of the earth.”

Chlorine is not a banned chemical substance, but can be lethal when used in high quantities.

Fighting In Hama Displaces 100,000 People: U.N.

An estimated 100,000 people have been displaced in the past 10 days as a result of increased fighting in Western Hama province, the United Nations said on Wednesday.

At the end of the last month, several opposition factions, including the extremist group Jund al-Aqsa and several factions from the Free Syrian Army, launched a major offensive in the western central province. The offensive is the biggest of its kind in the area since 2014, and opposition fighters are hoping to make gains where government forces have been able to consolidate their territory, Reuters reported.

In retaliation, the Syrian and Russian air forces have increased air strikes in the area, forcing thousands to flee to Hama city and the neighboring opposition-held province of Idlib.

Four mosques in Hama city and 12 schools in Hama’s rural areas have opened their doors to the thousands of displaced people seeking shelter. However, due to the large influx, many have been forced to sleep outside, according to Reuters.

Recommended Reads:

• Reuters: With Syria ‘Safe Zone’ Plan, Turkey Faces Diplomatic Balancing Act
• The Guardian: Syria’s Agony Could be Ended – if the U.S. and Russia can Reach a Deal
• Al Jazeera: No to Partitioning Syria
• Foreign Policy: Inside the Syrian Dust Bowl
• The Guardian: Water Supplies in Syria Deteriorating Fast Due to Conflict, Experts Warn