Eyewitnesses recount horrific scenes from Suweida's National Hospital, where Syrian government forces allegedly executed patients during sectarian violence. Amidst claims of over 300 deaths, calls for investigation intensify, highlighting the dire state of human rights in the region.
Atrocities at Suweida Hospital: Eyewitness Accounts of Violence and Horror
Atrocities at Suweida Hospital: Eyewitness Accounts of Violence and Horror
Accounts emerge of a devastating assault on a hospital in Syria’s Suweida province, where claims of a massacre have sparked international outrage.
The recent eruption of violence in Syria's Druze-majority province of Suweida has led to shocking allegations regarding a massacre at the local National Hospital. Eyewitness accounts detail a harrowing scene where Syrian government forces reportedly targeted patients within the hospital during sectarian clashes that escalated just over a week ago.
Upon arriving at the hospital, the stench of death filled the air, with decomposing bodies situated in white plastic bags outside. Dr. Wissam Massoud, a neurosurgeon at the facility, declared, “It was a massacre,” expressing the belief that soldiers approached claiming to restore peace, only to kill numerous patients, many of whom were vulnerable individuals. In a video shared by Dr. Massoud, a woman demonstrated the aftermath of the alleged raid, revealing bloodied sheets draped over lifeless bodies.
Hospital volunteer Kiness Abu Motab recounted the brutal nature of the attack, questioning the victims' supposed transgressions for being part of a minority group in what is purportedly a democratic nation. Others echoed his sentiments, including local residents who expressed distrust towards the military presence following the attack. One resident described the horrific murder of an eight-year-old disabled boy, illustrating the indiscriminate nature of the violence: “They shot patients in their beds as they slept.”
The casualty figures from the incident remain unverified, with estimates suggesting over 300 dead, while the Syrian defense ministry acknowledged reports of “shocking violations” occurring in the densely populated city. The international community has responded with indignation, stressing that hospitals must remain sanctuaries.
Access to Suweida has been curtailed, rendering independent verification of events challenging as government forces maintain stringent control over movement in and out of the city, which has been left in devastation after clashes between Druze fighters and army forces.
In a poignant moment, eight-year-old Hala al-Khatib was encountered at the hospital, nursing a head wound and bandaged face. Tragically, it was revealed that she had lost both parents during the chaos, highlighting the profound human cost of the conflict. The events in Suweida have drawn severe condemnation and call for immediate investigations into these violations of human rights, as a fragile ceasefire continues in a city fraught with tension and grief.
