Syrian Government Has Razed Entire Neighborhoods
(Daily Alert)

Syrian authorities deliberately demolished thousands of residential buildings in Damascus and Hama in 2012 and 2013, Human Rights Watch said in a report released Thursday, based on satellite imagery, witness statements, and video and photographic evidence. The report documents seven cases of large-scale demolitions with explosives and bulldozers that violated the laws of war. The demolitions either served no necessary military purpose and appeared to intentionally punish the civilian population or caused disproportionate harm to civilians. “Wiping entire neighborhoods off the map is not a legitimate tactic of war,” said HRW researcher Ole Solvang. (Human Rights Watch)

And from Honestreporting.com:

Syria has demolished thousands of homes during the civil war. BBC picked up on this Human Rights Watch report. Can you imagine the outrage if Israel did this?

Government officials told HRW that the demolitions were carried out in order to remove illegally constructed buildings.

However, the New York-based group found that there had been no similar demolitions in pro-government districts.