In Syria, thousands of civilians are fleeing a government-led offensive against the suburb of Eastern Ghouta outside the capital Damascus. More than 600 civilians have been killed in recent days by Syrian government airstrikes and artillery fire. Human rights activists are accusing the Syrian government of waging a “scorched earth” campaign against civilians in the suburb, which is controlled by anti-government rebels. The Syrian government, backed by Russian air power, is waging the offensive in violation of a U.N. Security Council ceasefire and a daily 5-hour ceasefire brokered by Russia, which is the Syrian government’s main backer. On Sunday, Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad said he would continue the offensive.

Bashar al-Assad: “The humanitarian situation, which the West speaks of from time to time, is a very ridiculous lie, as ridiculous as the Western officials who repeat it. … There is no contradiction between a truce and the combat operations. The advancement achieved yesterday and the day before in Ghouta by the Arab Syrian Army took place in the midst of this truce.”

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein says the Syrian government’s military offensive in Eastern Ghouta likely constitutes war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein: “Once again, I must emphasize that what we are seeing in Eastern Ghouta and elsewhere in Syria are likely war crimes and potentially crimes against humanity. Civilians are being pounded into submission or death. The perpetrators of these crimes must know that they are being identified.”