United Nations investigators are calling for Syrian leaders suspected of murder and torture in the country’s bloody crisis to face charges at the International Criminal Court. The latest findings by investigators probing the conflict accuse both sides of war crimes over a six-month period ending last month. Seven massacres were identified during that time — five of them by government forces and two by rebels seeking the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad. U.N. investigator Carla Del Ponte spoke at a news conference Monday in Geneva.

Carla Del Ponte: “So, of course, we were able to identify high-level perpetrators, and we will indicate that in a list that will remain sealed, because what we need is a tribunal, taking care, conducting a formal investigation, and be able to issue an indictment against such perpetrators.”

The United Nations says more than 70,000 people have been killed since the uprising against Assad began in March 2011. On Monday, European leaders agreed to step up aid to the Syrian rebels but rejected the possibility of providing them with weapons. British Foreign Secretary William Hague called the measure a compromise, saying Britain would have gone further toward easing the embargo.

William Hague: “This is an important change. It’s important because it shows we can change the arms embargo. And the worse the situation becomes, the more we can change it. It will be reviewed again in three months. It establishes an extremely important precedent. It’s an important step in itself. And it will allow us now to supply a greater range of equipment to help to protect civilian life in Syria. It will also enable us to give assistance and advice that we’ve been restricted in giving before.”

The New York Times is reporting the Obama administration may revisit the possibility of arming Syrian rebels, after Obama initially rejected the idea last fall.