Some sources were reporting up to 300 dead in the blast, which occurred in the town of Halfaya, according to Al Arabiya.

The incident took place in Halfaya, a town captured by rebels last week.

One activist in Halfaya, Samer al-Hamawi, told Reuters: “There is no way to really know yet how many people were killed. When I got there, I could see piles of bodies all over the ground. We hadn’t received flour in around three days so everyone was going to the bakery today, and lots of them were women and children. I still don’t know yet if my relatives are among the dead.”

“In Halfaya, regime forces bombarded a bakery and committed a massacre that killed dozens of people, including women and children, and wounded many others,” said the Local Coordination Committees, a grassroots network of activists.

The latest incident comes as the joint United Nations-Arab League special envoy on Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, arrived in Damascus to discuss ways to end the conflict in the war-torn country.

Instead of flying directly to Syria as he has on previous visits, Brahimi landed in Beirut and travelled to the Syrian capital by land because of fighting near the Damascus airport.

Brahimi did not speak publicly upon his arrival in Damascus. Diplomats told Al Jazeera that the Geneva communique is “the basis of [Brahimi’s] work”. The communiqué, which agreed terms for a transitional authority to oversee the end of violence in the country, was hammered out with the inclusion of Russia and China, Al Jazeera reported.

The uprising to topple President Bashar al-Assad has entered its 21st month, with opposition groups saying more than 44,000 people have been killed.

“Conflict has disrupted health services across Syria so most refugee children and their families have not had access to routine immunizations or other basic health services,” the Middle East Regional Health Advisor for the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Mahendra Sheth, said in a news release.

“This work is vital because during a crisis children are most vulnerable to disease outbreaks and malnutrition, especially children living in camp settings like Za’atari,” he added.

Nutrition screening in Za’atari refugee camp, in northern Jordan, is taking place in parallel to a weekly immunization clinic in the camp, according to UNICEF.

The agency, along with the Jordanian Ministry of Health, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) and other partners, are also launching a large-scale polio and measles vaccination campaign targeting more than 100,000 children in Za’atari, nearby transit centres, and communities hosting refugees in northern Jordan.

More than 18,000 people, mostly civilians, have died since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began nearly 18 months ago, according to the UN while activists put the death toll to more than 26,000. Amidst reports of an escalation in violence in recent weeks in many towns and villages, as well as the country’s two biggest cities, Damascus and Aleppo, UN agencies now estimate that some 2.5 million Syrians are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.

UN officials have been calling for enhanced international support to respond to the growing crisis, in particular for the $180 million Humanitarian Response Plan, which is only half-funded, with some critical sectors having received almost no funding at all.

UNICEF is also calling on the international community for increased funding of its emergency water, sanitation, education, health and nutrition programmes, which are reaching tens of thousands of Syrian children and their families in Syria and neighbouring countries.

The agency noted that amid extremely difficult working conditions, it, along with local partners in Syria, is reaching families sheltering in schools across Damascus with life-saving health care.

Eight mobile medical teams are to be dispatched to reach 175,000 people in many areas hardest hit by the ongoing conflict, including Aleppo, Damascus, Dara’a, Hama and Homs, while rapid assessments to monitor the nutritional situation of children will also be scaled up.

Immunizations are also being provided in Lebanon and Iraq, where more than 40,000 and 15,000 Syrian refugees are sheltering respectively, and the nutritional status of children five years of age and under is being monitored closely.

U.N. observers in Syria said the attack on the village of Al-Treimseh, where about 220 people were killed,  was “an extension of the SAAF (Syrian Arab Air Force) operation,” according to a report from the U.N. mission, obtained by Reuters on Friday.According to the report, a patrol of unarmed UN military observers could get within only about 6 km of Al-Treimseh on Thursday before being stopped by air force commanders due to  ”military operations”. The patrol examined the situation from different locations around Al-Treimseh for about eight hours during which 
it heard more than 100 explosions, small arms and heavy machinegun fire. The U.N. observers saw one Mi-8 and two Mi-24 helicopters and witnessed one of the Mi-24 helicopters firing air-to-ground rockets, according to the report, Al Arabiya said.

“The operation in Al-Treimseh is assessed as an extension of the SAAF operation in Khan Sheikhoun to Souran over the recent number of days,” said the two-page report by the U.N.

“The situation in Hama province continues to be highly volatile and unpredictable. The Syrian air force continues to target populated urban areas north of Hama City in a large scale,” the report said.

Opposition sources said about 220 people, mostly civilians were killed in the village of Al-Treimseh when it was bombarded by helicopter gunships and tanks then stormed by armed men who slaughtered some families on Thursday. 
 The Syrian government said more than 50 people were killed when government forces clashed with “terrorists”

The killings could not be independently verified due to restriction of international media by the government.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton strongly condemned the killings in A-Treimseh and demanded that the Security Council take action to stop the violence. Russia, too,  condemned the  killings, but blamed “terrorists” opposed to Assad for the massacre.

“I am shocked and appalled by news coming out of the village of Tremseh, near Hama, of intense fighting, significant casualties, and the confirmed use of heavy weaponry such as artillery, tanks and helicopters,” Annan said in a statement released by his spokesperson.

“This is in violation of the Government’s undertaking to cease the use of heavy weapons in population centres and its commitment to the six-point plan.”

Annan’s six-point plan calls for an end to violence, access for humanitarian agencies to provide relief to those in need, the release of detainees, the start of inclusive political dialogue, and unrestricted access to the country for the international media.

According to media reports, the village was bombarded by helicopter gunships and tanks and then stormed by militiamen who carried out execution-style killings. The victims were mostly civilians and, if confirmed, it would be the worst single incident of violence since the conflict began 16 months ago.

“I condemn these atrocities in the strongest possible terms. It is yet another reminder of the nightmare and the horrors Syrian civilians are being subjected to,” Mr. Annan said. “It is desperately urgent that this violence and brutality stops and more important than ever that governments with influence exert it more effectively to ensure that the violence ends – immediately.”

UN observers in Syria have confirmed the use of mechanized units, indirect fire as well as helicopters in Tremseh yesterday, said the Head of the UN Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS), General Robert Mood.

“From our presence in the Hama province we can verify continuous fighting yesterday in the area,” Gen. Mood told reporters in Damascus, adding that “UNSMIS stands ready to go in and seek verification of the facts, if and when there is a credible ceasefire.”

Under resolution 2043 adopted in April, the Council established UNSMIS – for three months and with up to 300 unarmed military observers – to monitor the cessation of violence in Syria, as well as monitor and support the full implementation of the six-point plan. In mid-June, UNSMIS suspended its monitoring activities due to an escalation of violence.

Gen. Mood underscored that in spite of the obstruction of the mission’s tasks due to the violence, UN observers are still engaging with parties on the ground in various provinces and facilitating local dialogues.

The three-month mandate of UNSMIS ends on 20 July, with the Council expected to meet before then to decide on its future.

The UN estimates that more than 10,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Syria and tens of thousands displaced since the uprising against President Bashar Al-Assad began last year.

“To stop this bloody madness which threatens the entity of Syria, as well as peace and the security in the region and in the world, requires an urgent and sharp resolution of the Security Council under Chapter VII (of the U.N. Charter) which protects the Syrian people,” the Syrian National Council (SNC) said according to Al Jazeera.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, more than 150 people have been killed during military operations and shelling on the town of Al-Treimseh in Hama. Only 30 names have been documented so far.

However  the Hama Revolutionary Council reported a higher death toll saying that  ”more than 220 people fell  in Treimseh”.

Reports can’t be independently confirmed.

Meanwhile, the Syria government didn’t make any statement on the incident but the Syrian television said three security personnel had been killed in fighting in the village and accused “terrorists” of committing a massacre there.

“Tens of terrorists overrun the village of al-Trimsa in Hama Countryside yesterday, killing or wounding tens of Syrian civilians,” state-run SANA reported.

Reports of the massacre came after U.N. Security Council ambassadors held their first talks on  Russian and Western draft resolutions on Syria, with Moscow opposing calls for sanctions against Assad’s regime.

No developments were reported, with the 300 member mandate for the UN mission to the conflict-torn country expiring on July 20.

If the accounts are confirmed, the Treimseh massacre would be the worst of its kind in the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad’s rule that began 16 months ago.

“We are all appalled by the sickening violence we continue to witness in Syria. Security forces and militias have bombarded cities with no regard for civilians. There have been massacres and point-blank killings. We have seen it last week in a village near Hama, and the week before in Houla, where security forces and militias killed men, women and children. Those responsible for these crimes must ultimately be held to account and we must do everything to stop the bloodshed.

We are at a critical moment. The situation is deteriorating day by day as the regime’s behaviour reinforces the most radical elements on all sides. And yet, most ordinary Syrians long for a transition that avoids bloodshed and keeps the country together – respecting minorities. If the descent into further militarization continues, it will not only spell disaster for the people of Syria, but also the broader region, including Lebanon, where developments are extremely worrying.

As I discussed with Kofi Annan – over recent weeks and again on Friday – we must spare no effort to avoid a catastrophe. Assad has no place in the future of Syria. His regime fails to comply with its own commitments and everyday underlines its lack of legitimacy. The implementation of Annan’s plan is not easy and some have questioned its viability. Yet, despite all the challenges, it remains today the best way forward.

We must act decisively to prevent further bloodshed while avoiding fuelling the flames of sectarian violence.

The only way forward now is to reinforce Kofi Annan’s leverage with the Syrian Regime and make his Mission more effective. No other option has been able to gather any kind of international support. Kofi Annan – to whom I pay tribute for his extraordinary efforts in exceedingly difficult conditions – has the support and legitimacy of the international community (UN) and the Arab League. As SG Ban-Ki Moon told the General Assembly on Thursday: the Annan plan must remain the centre piece of our efforts. But that alone is not enough. We need to do much more to further isolate the regime, build real and operational international consensus, strengthen international sanctions and press the government towards compliance and transition.

As Kofi Annan himself has made very clear, all concerned, and in particular the Members of the UN Security Council and those who have influence on the Regime, Russia and China in particular, must unite and apply more effective pressure to find a solution.

That is why we need to agree on a roadmap that reinforces Annan and his plan. This should involve 3 key priorities: 1) a more effective contact group, including Russia and China, to coordinate support to Annan and exert influence on the Regime. I therefore welcome the idea of a “Contact group” of key actors on the Syrian crisis as announced by Kofi Annan last Thursday in the UNSC. The international community must show unity in this critical moment. 2) united action by the UNSC to add more robust and effective pressure, including the reinforcement of sanctions under Chapter VII; and 3) international consensus around a political process and transition.

With these priorities in mind, I have engaged with Kofi Annan and other leaders to seek a new consensus, including in Istanbul last week, where I attended a special meeting on Syria and at the recent EU-Russia Summit.

Work on the political process cannot wait. It is crucial for the credibility of the international efforts and to show the Syrian people that there is a path leading to a better rather than a more fragmented Syria. But for this to happen, the opposition must finally come together and put its differences aside – new leadership is not enough. A stronger and more united opposition that represents a credible alternative for all Syrians is essential. We discussed on going efforts with Turkey and we are coordinating closely with the Arab League. We continue to meet the different factions and groups in the opposition. Now we are working on two seminars that will feed into the Arab League plans to organize a larger meeting.

In addition to our sanctions, diplomatic efforts, and support to the UNSMIS Mission, which are highly appreciated by the UN, humanitarian assistance remains the top priority for the EU. Innocent civilians and children are paying the consequences of this crisis. I am working closely with Kristalina Georgieva to use all the tools and instruments to deliver our assistance.

The EU has already allocated over EUR 28 million to address the humanitarian needs inside Syria and in neighbouring countries. Now the Syrian Government must implement the agreed comprehensive humanitarian response plan without excuses and delays.

Last week the Commission approved the EUR 23 million special measure – that I had previously announced in this plenary – to support civil society within Syria and neighbouring countries hosting Syrian refugees.

During my visit to Istanbul last week, my Crisis Coordinator engaged with the Turkish authorities and visited the Camps at the border. I offered any further help Turkey may need. Turkey is doing a truly great job in dealing with Syrian refugees and they can count on our support.

We will continue to call for accountability and support UN efforts in this regard. This is something we owe to the victims. The UN is investigating the latest massacres and the Human Rights Council – with our full support – is setting up a Committee of Investigation.

While some Member states have decided to withdraw and expel Ambassadors, our Delegation in Damascus will remain open for as long as possible. This has been the request of many of you and, most importantly, of Syrians themselves. They are our ears, eyes and hands to help are needed there.

On the MEPP our objective remains the same. I have been very clear from the beginning of the Arab Awakening that developments in the region make the peace process and a negotiated solution even more urgent and important, not less. While we are all paying a lot of attention to the situation in Syria, Egypt and elsewhere, ending the conflict remains a top priority and a fundamental EU interest.

“We found the village empty of its local inhabitants, a house damaged from shelling, with a wide range of calibre types and grenades,” said the spokesperson for the UN Supervision in Syria (UNSMIS), Sausan Ghosheh.

“We found burned homes, and at least one burnt with bodies inside – there was a heavy stench of burned flesh.”

According to media reports, Syrian activists claim that Government troops and militiamen massacred at least 78 villagers in AL Qubayr, located near the city of Hama, on Wednesday. The Syrian Government has said the accusations are false.

A group of 25 UNSMIS observers reached the village mid-afternoon on Friday, after having been obstructed in earlier attempts.

While trying to reach the location yesterday, UNSMIS observers were held up at Syrian Army checkpoints, and in some cases turned back; they were also stopped by civilians in the area, and received information from residents of the area that their safety was at risk if they entered the village. In addition, they were shot at with small arms.

“Residents from neighbouring villages came to speak to us, but none of them were witness to the killings on Wednesday,” Ms. Ghosheh said. “The circumstances surrounding this incident are yet not clear and we have not yet been able to verify the numbers.”

The spokesperson added that a team of experts from UNSMIS is in the village trying to ascertain the facts of what occurred.

The UN estimates that more than 10,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Syria and tens of thousands displaced since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began some 15 months ago.

Meanwhile, Britain, France and the United States will quickly draw up a U.N. Security Council resolution proposing sanctions against Syria over the worsening conflict, diplomats said Friday.

 “We will move fast to press for a resolution,” a U.N. diplomat told AFP.


But peoples often pass through fire, iron and blood. The dead in Syria are so many, that citizens of the West keep wondering why NATO does not interfere, or why the U.S. continues to maintain a wait-and-see stance. Why haven’t they charged ahead, as they did recently in Libya? And is there more in the role of the Security Council besides empty resolutions? Usually foreign powers intervene in cases of energy resources, arms deals, or in order to open markets or serve geopolitical interests. Which one is relevant in the case of Syria? Half words coming from all directions! However, the idea of an external intervention ultimately exceeds minced words, as China and Russia refuse to sign the removal of the Assad regime. Particularly Moscow chooses to sell its weapons (Russian guns kill dissidents and their families) and at the same strengthens its naval base on Syrian territory. Besides, the Arab Spring last year has partly ousted the country from the geopolitical game. How could, therefore, Russia abandon its territorial takes?

It is said that Syria and its neighbors are the Balkans of the 21st century and Damascus the NATO-bombed Kosovo. But is this right? The US, despite what is said as regards weapons trafficking through Turkey and Saudi Arabia to the Syrian opposition, will hardly earn the necessary legitimacy by international public opinion to intervene. The lies of the Bush administration in the invasion of Iraq remain in the news agenda, leading Obama to move cautiously, taking into account besides the election period, two additional factors: first, the alliance of Damascus with Tehran, which is waiting patiently for Israel’s wrong move and, second, the stance of Turkey that appears determined to reinforce its position as a leading regional power.

With ten thousand years of history, Syria is one of the most flammable parts of the world, reminding us, Greeks, who appear insulted by Lagarde’s statements, that a single sparkle could put the world ablaze. And then what?

Published in Greek in Kathimerini, 7.6.2012

The EU strongly condemns all efforts aimed at obstructing the implementation of Special Envoy Kofi Annan’s six point plan. EU representative called for a full investigation of the horrendous crimes and support all efforts to this end. “There is an imperative need now, more than ever, to support those working to end this dreadful spiral of violence in which the innocent are the victims. Those guilty of these atrocities must be brought rapidly to justice,” she noted.

“I also call on the international community to unite behind a political process leading to a democratic transition. I have just held discussions on Syria with Russia in the EU-Russia Summit. I also participated in the Istanbul meeting yesterday. The message is clear: it is time for us to agree on a united way forward. There is no time to lose. The UN Security Council must continue to support Kofi Annan and use all its influence to stop the violence,” Ashton added.

“Their mission is being obstructed by three factors: First, they are being stopped at Syrian Army checkpoints and in some cases turned back; second, some of our patrols are being stopped by civilians in the area; third, we are receiving information from residents of the area that the safety of our observers is at risk if we enter the village,” the head of the United Nations Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS), Major-General Robert Mood, said in a statement.

“Despite these challenges, the observers are still working to get into the village to try to establish the facts on the ground,” he added.

According to media reports, Syrian activists claim that Government troops and militiamen massacred at least 78 villagers in Mazraat al-Qubeir, located near the city of Hama. UNSMIS dispatched observers to the site early Thursday.

The UN estimates that some 10,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Syria and tens of thousands displaced since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began some 15 months ago.

In his statement, Major-General Mood also noted UNSMIS’ concern about the restriction imposed on its movement “as it will impede our ability to monitor, observe and report.”

The Security Council established UNSMIS in April to monitor the cessation of violence in Syria, as well as monitor and support the full implementation of a peace plan put forward by the Joint Special Envoy of the United Nations and the Arab League for the Syrian Crisis, Kofi Annan.

The plan calls for an end to violence, access for humanitarian agencies to provide relief to those in need, the release of detainees, the start of inclusive political dialogue that takes into account the aspirations of the Syrian people, and unrestricted access to the country for the international media.

Later today, Annan will brief the General Assembly in person, followed by the Security Council and the media, on the latest developments in Syria. Also speaking in the Assembly meeting will be President of the General Assembly, Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the Secretary-General of the Arab League, Nabil Al Araby.