Aleppo crisis: Pope Francis urges Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to respect international humanitarian law

Shelling resumed on Wednesday as ceasefire deal to evacuate civilians and rebel fighters crumbled

Pope Francis visits the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral in Mtskheta, Georgia, 1 October, 2016 (Reuters)

Pope Francis has written a letter to the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad appealing to him to respect humanitarian laws as shelling resumed in eastern Aleppo.

A fragile ceasefire began to crumble on Wednesday morning as a deal to evacuate rebel fighters and civilians trapped in the besieged city fell apart.

Ahead of the ceasefire, the pontiff sent a letter through Cardinal Mario Zenari addressed to Assad and the international community calling for an end to the violence inflicted on the people of Syria.

The Holy See press office said Pope Francis “expressed again his appeal to President Bashar al-Assad and to the international community for an end to the violence, and the peaceful resolution of hostilities, condemning all forms of extremism and terrorism from whatever quarter they may come, and appealing to the President to ensure that international humanitarian law is fully respected with regard to the protection of the civilians and access to humanitarian aid.”

Government troops have launched an offensive to regain the city. Thousands of civilians remain in the few neighbourhoods still held by rebels and a ceasefire was brokered to allow rebel fighters and civilians to withdraw from eastern Aleppo.

Reuters reports at least 15,000 are waiting to be evacuated from eastern Aleppo. Many families gathered in the early hours of the morning to be taken out of besieged areas but evacuations were delayed. Hours later, reports of fierce fighting began trickling in.

The United Nations has received reports of civilians being summarily executed by pro-government fighters. On Tuesday, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the United Nations Security Council: “We have seen shocking videos of a body burning in the street, ostensibly after aerial bombardment, [the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights] has received reports of civilians, including women and children, in four neighbourhoods being rounded up and executed.”

AFP has quoted sources from the regime and rebel fighters as claiming the evacuations were stalled after objections from the Syrian Government.

Additional reporting by agencies