Situation in Northeast Syria, the violence against civilians and the need to maintain a sustainable ceasefire

P10_TA(2026)0053

PE782.077

European Parliament resolution of 12 February 2026 on the situation in Northeast Syria, the violence against civilians and the need to maintain a sustainable ceasefire (2026/2602(RSP))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to its previous resolutions on Syria,

– having regard to UN Security Council Resolution 2254 (2015) of 18 December 2015 on the situation in Syria,

– having regard to the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and the additional protocols thereto,

– having regard to the statements by the European External Action Service (EEAS) on the situation in Syria,

– having regard to Rules 136(2) and (4) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas repeated outbreaks of violence in different parts of Syria, destabilisation attempts by partisans of Bashar al-Assad, as well as by Daesh forces, and an overall high number of arms in circulation, create a fragmented and volatile security situation in the country, which could undermine prospects for a stable, inclusive and Syrian-led political transition; whereas while Iran and Russia have a reduced influence on the current situation, other actors, such as Israel and Türkiye, are still using Syria as an arena for their indirect rivalries;

B. whereas the Syrian authorities’ agenda to centralise the country does not correspond with the autonomy that has developed in north-east Syria; whereas the Syrian authorities undertook political negotiations in parallel with military actions to achieve their objectives; whereas military operations affecting north-east Syria have taken place with the direct or indirect involvement, support or acceptance of external actors, including Türkiye; whereas on 6 January 2026, the Syrian authorities launched an offensive in Aleppo and the surrounding area, resulting in casualties and the displacement of 148 000 civilians, damage to infrastructure and further deterioration of humanitarian conditions; whereas this offensive was later extended to the Raqqa, Al-Hasakah and Deir Ezzor governorates in north-east Syria and notably to the region around Kobani and Qamishli, which has placed north-east Syria under severe strain with direct consequences for civilian safety, the humanitarian situation and regional stability;

C. whereas the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) accuses the Syrian government forces of capturing oilfields and the Tabqa Dam and of shelling near Tishreen Dam; whereas the government forces accuse the SDF of targeting civilian buildings such as the Khaled Fajr Hospital in Aleppo and of being responsible for disruptions to the water supply; whereas Daesh was already responsible for major destruction in the region before it was defeated;

D. whereas dozens of civilians were killed in the recent fighting between the Syrian Army, their affiliated militias and the SDF; whereas this fighting had severe humanitarian consequences for the stricken population in north-east Syria as a result of repeated attacks on essential civilian infrastructure, including water facilities, electricity grids and healthcare services, leaving approximately 400 000 people without electricity, water, food and medical care, putting more than 250 000 people at risk in the Kurdish-majority city Kobani alone; whereas according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, more than 170 000 people are internally displaced across the Aleppo, Al-Hasakah and Raqqa governorates, including large concentrations in Qamishli and Al-Malikiyyeh; whereas this massive displacement puts a disproportionate burden on host communities and public services; whereas the displaced population is predominantly composed of women, girls and boys, who are disproportionately exposed to protection risks;

E. whereas winter conditions have only deepened the suffering and mean that people are in greater need of weatherproof shelter, food support, access to safe water, healthcare and protection services, particularly children and other vulnerable groups; whereas severely damaged infrastructure, the presence of explosive hazards and ongoing security concerns continue to constrain humanitarian access; whereas the recent opening of two humanitarian corridors facilitates the movement of humanitarian assistance and civilians across affected areas;

F. whereas international organisations have documented unlawful killings, the desecration of bodies and graves, enforced disappearances, arbitrary detention and the obstruction of humanitarian access during the clashes, potentially amounting to serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law; whereas the Kurdish community in particular, and among them women, children and other vulnerable groups, have been disproportionately affected; whereas women human rights defenders, women community leaders and women fighters have faced heightened risks of threats, abduction, ill treatment and gender-based violence; whereas prompt, independent and effective investigations must be conducted into these acts;

G. whereas the United States, France and the authorities of the autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan have played an important diplomatic role in successive attempts to facilitate dialogue and reach agreements between Damascus and the SDF, with the aim of preventing escalation and preserving stability in north-east Syria;

H. whereas on 16 January 2026, President al-Sharaa issued Decree No 13, which grants Syrian citizenship to residents of Kurdish origin, including those who are stateless, which is the first formal recognition of Kurdish national rights since Syria became independent in 1946; whereas the decree aims at ensuring equal rights and duties, recognising the Kurdish language as a national language and prohibiting discrimination or incitement on ethnic or linguistic grounds;

I. whereas an agreement between the Syrian authorities and the SDF militia alliance was announced on 30 January 2026; whereas the agreement aims at stabilising a fragile ceasefire, gradually integrating SDF military and internal security forces into the transitional Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Interior, including withdrawal from front lines, and guaranteeing civil and educational rights for Kurdish communities; whereas under this agreement, control of prisons, as well as oil and gas fields, will be transferred from the SDF to the Syrian Government;

J. whereas the international community has largely outsourced responsibility for guarding Daesh detainees and camps to Kurdish-led authorities, without establishing a sustainable international framework or contingency plans; whereas Kurdish fighters, including women combatants, have played a decisive internationally recognised role, in alliance with the Global Coalition against Daesh, thereby contributing directly to the security of the region, Europe and the international community; whereas instability in north-east Syria seriously undermines the fight against Daesh; whereas recent fighting created uncertainty, allowing hundreds of Daesh detainees to escape; whereas the exact number of escapees remains unclear; whereas only some of them were later recaptured; whereas detention facilities are currently guarded by either the Syrian authorities or the SDF; whereas such a blurred situation poses a security risk for Syria, the region and Europe; whereas the gradual transfer of Daesh detainees to Iraq only displaces the problem, which lacks any prospect of a sustainable solution and engages Europe in new forms of dependency on the capacities and political will of third countries; whereas EU nationals remain among the detainees; whereas the situation of women and children in the al-Hol and al-Roj camps also remains unresolved, amid a deteriorating security environment and with humanitarian needs remaining acute; whereas the US administration has announced its intention to put an end to Operation Inherent Resolve and to withdraw US troops fighting against Daesh in Iraq and Syria;

K. whereas in north-east Syria, Kurdish and Arab communities coexist and both have been exposed for years to violence, insecurity, forced displacement and violation of their fundamental rights through the atrocities committed by Daesh; whereas Daesh threatened not only the Kurdish population but also the Yazidis, who became the victims of genocide; whereas women were also disproportionately affected and in a particularly odious way;

L. whereas the EU remains one of the largest humanitarian donors to the Syrian population and is ready to support early recovery, reconstruction and state-building efforts in a gradual, conditional and reversible manner, while adhering to international standards of human rights; whereas in January 2026, the presidents of the Commission and the European Council visited Syria and announced a new political partnership with a view to supporting a peaceful and inclusive transition and reconciliation within Syria, along with a comprehensive financial support package of approximately EUR 620 million for 2026 and 2027; whereas the Commission has since announced the mobilisation of EUR 150 million from the EU financial cushion for Syria for the next two years to support the political transition, socio-economic recovery, job creation and capacity building;

M. whereas the EU has taken significant steps to ease economic restrictions on Syria, including the suspension or lifting of certain sanctions affecting key economic sectors;

N. whereas any EU development, reconstruction or stabilisation assistance must remain strictly conditional on tangible and verifiable progress on civilian protection, respect for ceasefire arrangements, human rights and the protection of all components of Syrian society;

1. Firmly condemns all acts of violence against civilians, including extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, arbitrary detention, forced displacement and damage to civilian infrastructure; stresses that such acts may constitute serious violations of international humanitarian law and, in certain circumstances, war crimes; is concerned by credible reports from the UN, international non-governmental organisations and humanitarian organisations of human rights violations perpetrated in recent weeks, in particular against the Kurdish population, including several incidents of desecration of corpses, both male and female, vandalism of burial grounds and the reported use of unguided munitions in civilian areas; calls for a swift investigation into the reported crimes against civilians committed by both government forces and militias; calls on the Syrian authorities to provide all relevant UN bodies, including the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arabic Republic, with full and transparent access;

2. Expresses deep concern about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in north-east Syria, in predominantly Kurdish urban areas, including Kobani, Manbij and Qamishli, which have experienced repeated disruptions to essential services and damage to civilian infrastructure as well as mass displacement, food insecurity and limited access to healthcare, water and sanitation; highlights the situation in Kobani, which is under siege and where civilians are experiencing suffering; demands permanent, safe humanitarian corridors for all besieged and affected areas of north-east Syria, including Kobani; demands that international humanitarian civil society organisations be granted indiscriminate access to areas in need; calls for the EU and its Member States to increase humanitarian assistance and psychosocial support to the impacted regions, including for women and girls, as well as protection for women human rights defenders and women-led civil society organisations across Syria;

3. Welcomes the recent agreement between the SDF and the Syrian transitional government; reaffirms its continued and unwavering support for the ceasefire and the recognition of civil and educational rights of Kurds; calls on all parties to refrain from any action that could lead to a new escalation of violence, to respect existing ceasefire arrangements, and to support mechanisms aimed at monitoring and sustaining ceasefire commitments;

4. Calls on all regional actors, including Türkiye, to refrain from any military action or support for armed groups that risks undermining the ceasefire, civilian protection and the prospects for an inclusive settlement; denounces the continued military intervention and aggression by Türkiye in north-east Syria, including deadly attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure in Kurdish majority cities and provinces along the border between the two countries; urges the Turkish Government to immediately stop its military involvement in north-east Syria and enable negotiations for a peaceful solution between the Syrian transitional government and the SDF; calls on the Commission, the EEAS and the Member States to address Türkiye’s involvement in Syria in bilateral exchanges with the Turkish Government; stresses that any security arrangements must comply with international law and respect Syria’s territorial integrity, and must not result in forced displacement or demographic engineering;

5. Reiterates that stability in north-east Syria is of utmost relevance for the success of a comprehensive, inclusive and just political transition in Syria; calls on the Syrian authorities to ensure the protection and fundamental rights of Syria’s ethnic and religious communities, including Arabs, Kurds, Sunnis, Shias, Alawites, Christians, Druze and Yazidis; insists that the protection of Syria’s ethnic and religious diversity, including the full recognition, political participation and equal rights of the Kurdish community, is essential for safeguarding civil peace and ensuring a stable and inclusive Syria; calls on the Syrian transitional government to enshrine these rights into the Syrian Constitution, while upholding the key principle of Syria’s territorial integrity;

6. Deplores the fact that the international community had largely delegated responsibility for securing Daesh detainees and camps to Kurdish-led authorities without providing adequate political, financial and security guarantees or contingency planning; warns of the negative security prospect entailed by the uncertainty regarding future administrative responsibility for the detention centres and camps;

7. Expresses grave concern, in particular, about the risk posed by the significant number of Daesh fighters and affiliates who have escaped from detention facilities and camps in north-east Syria; warns that the gradual displacement of the problem of Daesh detainees to Iraq risks creating new forms of uncertainty and dependency on the capacities and political will of third countries; stresses, furthermore, that any transfer or release of adult Daesh fighters and suspects within Syria or to third countries, including Iraq and Türkiye, must remain subject to effective custody, monitoring and information-sharing arrangements, including in any cross-border transfers, to prevent escape or unmonitored movement, and that accountability must be ensured through the preservation of evidence and through prosecution, in line with international standards and fair trial guarantees; warns that transfers and repatriations without effective safeguards and judicial follow-up would constitute a security risk for Syria, the wider region and Europe; calls on the international coalition, including the United States, to take all necessary measures to mitigate this security risk without delay and calls for the EU to provide the necessary support to this end;

8. Stresses that the continued presence of EU nationals among Daesh detainees places a direct responsibility on the Member States and that failure to address this issue undermines both regional and European security;

9. Takes note of the international conference of the Global Coalition against Daesh in Riyadh, bringing together relevant international and regional actors to address the security situation in north-east Syria; regrets the US administration’s announcement that it will end Operation Inherent Resolve and withdraw US troops from Syria and Iraq; calls for the EU, the Member States and like-minded countries to step up their efforts to combat any resurgence of Daesh, which would threaten the security of Syria, the region and Europe; welcomes the Syrian Government’s renewed commitment to countering terrorism within the framework of the Global Coalition against Daesh and urges the authorities to seek close military and intelligence coordination and cooperation with international partners; urges the Member States to step up their intelligence gathering with regard to Daesh’s activities in Syria and the broader Levant and assist the Syrian authorities in their efforts to dismantle existing networks and prevent fighters from regrouping; calls for the EU and its Member States to take concrete action in order to secure the long-term management of Daesh detainees and camps;

10. Reiterates its call on the Member States to repatriate all their nationals, especially children, from the al-Hol and al-Roj camps and to bring adults to justice in fair trials; emphasises that robust risk assessment and reintegration support are important elements of any repatriation process; calls on the Syrian Government to do its utmost to guarantee effective and efficient control over the camps and refrain from any action that might embolden the remaining Daesh fighters; stresses the need for enhanced protection for women, including safe humanitarian access and gender-sensitive services;

11. Recalls the decisive contribution of Kurdish forces in the fight against Daesh, including the role of women combatants, and commends their excellent cooperation with the international coalition in the EU’s fight against the terror committed by Daesh and the threat posed to Europe, its people and its capital cities; recalls and applauds the courage and resolve of the countless Kurdish women who have bravely led the fight against Daesh and have been forced to endure unfathomable brutalities at the hands of Daesh; calls on the Syrian authorities to investigate the atrocious crimes perpetrated by Daesh, notably against the Yazidi community; underlines that lasting stability in Syria requires recognition of the Kurdish community’s sacrifices, legitimate security concerns and political representation, including safeguards for women’s rights and women’s meaningful participation in public life;

12. Urges the Syrian authorities to intensify efforts to include all components of Syrian society in decision-making;

13. Calls on the EEAS and the Member States to intensify diplomatic efforts aimed at de-escalation, civilian protection and confidence-building in Syria and its north-eastern region;

14. Recalls the role of the EU as one of the largest donors of humanitarian aid to the Syrian population; welcomes the Commission’s financial support package of approximately EUR 620 million for 2026 and 2027 and calls for the EU and its Member States to sustain humanitarian assistance and early recovery support in north-east Syria, with a particular focus on civilian protection, the resilience of local communities and support for Syrian civil society, independent human rights organisations and local peace-building initiatives; stresses the importance of predictable, multi-year humanitarian funding for Syria in order to ensure the continuity of life-saving assistance and to enable early recovery activities; underlines the importance of applying a humanitarian-development-peace nexus approach in Syria; reaffirms that EU support and the suspension of sanctions are conditional and reversible;

15. Calls on the Commission to adopt a stand-alone strategy on Syria and ensure that Syrian civil society and diaspora communities are meaningfully consulted;

16. Stresses that any engagement with Syrian authorities must remain conditional on tangible and verifiable progress on civilian protection, and respect for ceasefire arrangements, human rights and minority rights;

17. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the United Nations, and the relevant Syrian and regional actors, and asks for this resolution to be translated into Arabic and Kurdish.