(ZENIT News / Aleppo, 12.03.2024).- A fresh wave of violence has shaken northern Syria, with Aleppo once again at the epicenter of fear and uncertainty. On November 27, an unprecedented offensive led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and allied factions erupted from Idlib province, marking the first significant territorial gains against President Bashar al-Assad’s forces in years. The assault has already claimed 242 lives, including multiple civilians, while displacing thousands of families as schools, health centers, and places of worship brace for the worst.
Father Bahjat Karakach, the parish priest at Aleppo’s Church of St. Francis of Assisi, described the palpable anxiety gripping the city. “We hear the cannon fire distinctly. People are terrified; schools and catechism classes are suspended. The fear is overwhelming, and for three nights, no one has been able to sleep,” he shared. The priest highlighted the exhaustion of a population already battered by over a decade of war. “There’s no energy left to endure another battle. We thought this might just be a threat, but now it’s a grim reality.
A City on Edge
Aleppo, once Syria’s economic powerhouse, is now a haunting symbol of war’s devastation. The offensive has brought the conflict to its doorstep once more, with the sounds of artillery echoing through the city and bombs killing civilians, including four university students near a dormitory.
The offensive underscores the fragile nature of the 2020 ceasefire brokered by Russia and Turkey, which halted Assad’s push into Idlib but failed to bring lasting peace. Sporadic clashes and airstrikes never ceased, but recent geopolitical shifts have reignited hostilities. Reports suggest that Russian forces, Assad’s key allies, have intensified their aerial assaults, while Turkish-backed groups have complicated the landscape further.
Rami Abdel Rahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, noted the surprising disarray within Assad’s ranks. “Despite Russian air support, they were unprepared for an attack of this scale,” he said. Meanwhile, the international community appears paralyzed, distracted by other crises in the Middle East.
Humanitarian Fallout
The renewed fighting has deepened the humanitarian crisis in Idlib, home to over four million people, many of whom are displaced and living in dire conditions. The United Nations reports that nearly 7,000 families have been displaced in the past week alone, with humanitarian organizations warning of deteriorating conditions as winter sets in.
Francesco Patton, the Custodian of the Holy Land, confirmed that a bomb recently struck the Franciscan Terra Santa College in Aleppo. While there were no casualties, the incident has heightened fear among the city’s already traumatized residents. “The tension is unbearable, and the population is gripped by growing fear,” he said. “We call on all Christians to join us in prayer for Syria’s peace.”
The Political Stalemate and a Call for Action
Father Karakach attributes the escalation to a prolonged political deadlock that has left Syria in limbo. “Temporary agreements were never sustainable, and the lack of a definitive solution has only fueled despair,” he remarked. He called on the international community to intervene decisively before the situation spirals further out of control.
The timing of the offensive, coinciding with the Christian season of Advent, has disrupted preparations for Christmas among Aleppo’s Christian community. “The atmosphere has shifted dramatically,” Father Karakach said. “We strive to maintain joy, but the weight of fear hangs over us. We pray for change and cling to hope for a brighter future.”
As bombs continue to fall and the death toll rises, Aleppo and the broader region await desperately needed peace—a peace that feels ever more elusive in the shadows of renewed war.
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