Hariri Voices Solidarity with Aleppo against 'Policies of Oppression, Extermination'

Al-Mustaqbal Movement leader and Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri on Wednesday expressed his solidarity with “the Syrian people and the city of Aleppo” in the face of what he called “the policies of oppression and extermination.”

“The calls of condemnation and the false claims about fighting terrorism do not make Aleppo's tragedy less appalling or ugly,” Hariri tweeted.

“It is a black hallmark that will smear the foreheads of all those who allowed the destruction of Aleppo and the crushing of its people, all of those who got together to suppress its dreams of freedom and peace,” the PM-designate added.

Earlier in the day, rebels in Aleppo called for a five-day truce and the evacuation of civilians after losing more than three quarters of their territory including the Old City to a Syrian army offensive.

After three weeks of heavy fighting, regime forces appeared closer than ever to retaking all of Aleppo and winning their most important victory yet in the civil war that began in 2011.

The assault has prompted a mass exodus of east Aleppo residents and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Wednesday that at least 80,000 had now fled their homes.

Assad's government has been urging civilians to leave east Aleppo for months and accused rebels of holding residents hostage for use as "human shields."

The offensive has killed at least 369 people in east Aleppo, including 45 children, the Observatory says. Rebel fire into the west of the city has killed at least 92 people, including 34 children, in the same period, it says.