Siege of Hama
Encyclopedia
The Siege of Hama, also known as the Hama Blockade, is a major arena of the 2011 Syrian uprising
against president Bashar al-Assad
. The city of Hama
, in central Syria
, erupted in violence on 3 June 2011 when tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets to express their opposition to the government. They were targeted by the secret police and military forces, and more than 50 people were killed and hundreds injured. On 1 July, with more than 400,000 protestors, Hama witnessed the largest demonstration against Bashar al-Assad. Two days later, Syrian tanks deployed at Hama in an operation that led to more than 20 civilian deaths at the hands of Syrian security forces, and two rapes were witnessed.
On 31 July, the government of Syria sent the Syrian army
into Hama to control protests on the eve of Ramadan
, as part of a nationwide crackdown, nicknamed the Ramadan Massacre. At least 142 people across Syria died on that day, including over 100 in Hama alone, and 29 in Deir ez-Zor. Hundreds more have been wounded. By 4 August, more than 200 civilians had been killed in Hama.
, often described as uprising
, broke out in the city, and was violently suppressed by the military, resulting in more than 70 citizens killed. Violence occurred once again during the 1976–1982 Islamic uprising in Syria
, when hundreds of Hama citizens were executed in the April 1981 crackdown
, whereas in February 1982, a much larger scale massacre
took place in Hama, following an armed and organized uprising of Islamic groups
, centered in the city. The 1982 Hama massacre
claimed the lives of some 10,000 - 25,000 Hama citizens and Islamic militants and as many as 1,000 Syrian Army personnel.
On 1 July 2011, with more than 400,000 protestors, Hama witnessed the largest demonstration against Bashar al-Assad
. Soon after, Assad sacked Hama's governor. Two days after, Syrian tanks deployed at Hama, in an operation that led to more than 20 civilians killed by the Syrian security forces and two rape cases were witnessed.
As the city of Hama became one of the main opposition centers of the popular uprising
, taking place in Syria, Hama turned into a focal point of growing violence. An armed blockade was imposed on the city on 3 July.
On 6 July, a surprising step was taken by the US ambassador, Robert Ford, when he visited Hama and declared that he will stay there till Friday. Syria reacted with anger with this visit. On 8 July, more than 500,000 Syrians flooded through the city of Hama, according to activists, in what they claim was the single biggest protest yet against the embattled government of President Bashar al-Assad
. Demonstrators in Hama have received the US ambassadors with flowers to express their gratitude of the visit and to reach their voices to the world.
JJ Harder, the press attaché of the US embassy in Damascus
, later told Al Jazeera
: "Our ambassador Robert Ford was in Hama earlier this month, and he saw with his own eyes the violence that they are talking about. There was none. He maybe saw one teenager with a stick at a checkpoint, and the government is going on with these absolute fabrications about armed gangs running the streets of Hama and elsewhere. Hama has shown itself to be a model of peaceful protest. That was why our ambassador chose to go there."
The French ambassador joined the US one on that day to show the French support to the victims.
7 July had seen both the French and American ambassadors to Syria
toured some of the nation’s hotspots. The American ambassador Robert Ford, had travelled, with the French ambassador Éric Chevallier to the city of Hama in what Robert Ford said was a gesture of solidarity with local protesters there.
On 8 July, more tanks were deployed around the outskirts of Hama, as part of a strengthening blockade, following protests involving an estimated 500,000 people the previous weekend. It has been estimated that up to 350,000 of the city's 700,000 population have taken part in many of the protests
, Deir ez-Zor and Hama
. President Assad sent his "Terror Buses" packed with private Alawite
militia and party loyalists into Hama on 30 July.
, Syria witnessed the bloodiest day in its 139-day uprising against the single-party regime, in which the Alawi
-run government has allegedly targeted Sunni, Druze
and Christian
groups from across the country.
Abdel Rahman of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on 31 July that Syrian security forces launched an offensive at 5:00 am (0200 GMT) on Muadhamiya, to the north, then encircled Hama shortly afterwards.
In a separate incident on the same day, political prisoners attempted to mutiny in Hama's central prison, to which security forces responded with live ammunition. The death toll in the prison is unknown. The state news agency reported that eight policemen were killed in clashes in Hama.
The government has blamed much of the violence on terrorists and militants, who it says have killed hundreds of security personnel. At least 136 people have died, over 100 in Hama alone, and 19 in Deir ez-Zor. Hundreds more have been wounded. The crackdown was the most intense of the 2011 Syrian uprising
thus far, with over 2200 protesters dead since 15 March.
One Hama resident, a doctor who did not want to be identified for fear of arrest, told Reuters
that tanks were attacking Hama from four different directions and "firing randomly". Another resident said snipers had climbed onto the roofs of the state-owned electricity company and the main prison, and that electricity had been cut in eastern neighbourhoods. Syrian government tanks also fired on mosques where the loudspeakers broadcast, "Allah Akbar".
A United Nations Security Council
resolution condemning Syria was proposed by Russia
and the Security Council met on the night of 31 July to debate the situation in Syria.
Syrian dissidents claimed that the tank assault on Hama on 31 July, in which 84 people had died, was an attempt to pacify and regain control of the city ahead of Ramadan and to avert protests during the holy month.
Activists and witnesses said at least 24 civilians were killed in attacks on several cities, including Hama, on 1 August. Later that day, The European Union imposed travel bans on five more military and government officials and extended sanctions against Assad's government, including Syrian Defence Minister
Ali Habib Mahmud
.
, UK and France
wanted to formally condemn Syria
, but Russia
and China were afraid that "it could be used as a pretext for military intervention in Syria".
On 2 August, Syrian dissident Radwan Ziadeh asked US President Barack Obama
and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to demand President Bashar al-Assad
to step down.
are confronting them and banning them from entering neighborhoods.”
The water, electricity and all communications in Hama
and its surrounding villages and towns had been cut off, according to nearby online posts on social networking sites.
The accounts could not be independently confirmed because the Syrian government banned foreign journalists from entering the country to report. Shaam, an online video channel that is aligned to the protest movement, posted a video dated 3 August that showed at least one tank attacking a neighbourhood that the narrator said was Hayy al-Hader in Hama; heavy plumes of smoke could be seen rising in the sky.
On 3 August, following the attacks, workers in Hama declared three days of general strike in memory of those killed by security forces.
The town’s pro-democracy movement, the Local Coordination Committee, had emailed a statement saying that shelling was especially concentrated in the Janoub al-Mala’ab and Manakh districts. The group also claimed in the E-mail
that civilians were being shot and houses shelled. Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory For Human Rights, warned that “We might be witnessing another massacre in Hama.”
Russia’s Foreign Ministry's Middle East and North Africa Department chief, Sergei Vershinin, reminded the UN that his country was not "categorically" against adopting a UN resolution condemning the violence in Syria, but the Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister, Faisal Mekdad
urged India to ignore Western "propaganda" if there was a vote over it in the Security Council.
A total of 200 were killed in Hama by 4 August.
The European Union imposed travel bans on five more military and government officials and extended sanctions against Mr Assad's ruling clique on 1 August.
– Foreign Minister Franco Frattini called the events in Hama “a horrible act of violent repression against protesters."
– Former Prime Minister and leader of the March 14 alliance
Saad Hariri
condemned what he called a "massacre" and the "bloody murders" that he said the Syrian people endure.
- On 1 August, the Kremlin
, which has been a Syrian ally, in the person of President Dmitri A. Medvedev strongly condemned the regime's actions in Hama, calling them "unacceptable."
- President
Abdullah Gül
expressed horror over Syrian security forces' use of heavy weapons, including tanks, to quell civilian protests. "It's impossible to remain silent in the face of events visible to everyone. I urge the Syrian administration to stop violence against people and to carry out reforms to build the country's future on the base of peace and stability. We cannot remain silent and accept a bloody atmosphere," Gül said.
- A press release from the British Prime Minister’s office requested that President Bashar-al Assad 'should reform or step aside' on the noon of 1 August.
– President
Barack Obama
said the reports from Hama were horrifying and demonstrated the true character of the Syrian regime. "Once again, President Assad has shown that he is completely incapable and unwilling to respond to the legitimate grievances of the Syrian people," he said. He said he was appalled by the government's use of "violence and brutality against its own people". President Obama also vowed to diplomatically isolate president Bashar al-Assad as various human rights groups said that Syrian forces killed nearly 140 people in Syria on 31 July, including 100 when the army stormed the flashpoint city of Hama.
2011 Syrian uprising
The 2011 Syrian uprising is an ongoing internal conflict occurring in Syria. Protests started on 26 January 2011, and escalated into an uprising by 15 March 2011...
against president Bashar al-Assad
Bashar al-Assad
Bashar al-Assad is the President of Syria and Regional Secretary of the Ba'ath Party. His father Hafez al-Assad ruled Syria for 29 years until his death in 2000. Al-Assad was elected in 2000, re-elected in 2007, unopposed each time.- Early Life :...
. The city of Hama
Hama
Hama is a city on the banks of the Orontes River in west-central Syria north of Damascus. It is the provincial capital of the Hama Governorate. Hama is the fourth-largest city in Syria—behind Aleppo, Damascus, and Homs—with a population of 696,863...
, in central Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, erupted in violence on 3 June 2011 when tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets to express their opposition to the government. They were targeted by the secret police and military forces, and more than 50 people were killed and hundreds injured. On 1 July, with more than 400,000 protestors, Hama witnessed the largest demonstration against Bashar al-Assad. Two days later, Syrian tanks deployed at Hama in an operation that led to more than 20 civilian deaths at the hands of Syrian security forces, and two rapes were witnessed.
On 31 July, the government of Syria sent the Syrian army
Syrian Army
The Syrian Army, officially called the Syrian Arab Army, is the land force branch of the Syrian Armed Forces. It is the dominant military service of the four uniformed services, controlling the senior most posts in the armed forces, and has the greatest manpower, approximately 80 percent of the...
into Hama to control protests on the eve of Ramadan
Ramadan
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which lasts 29 or 30 days. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex during daylight hours and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and...
, as part of a nationwide crackdown, nicknamed the Ramadan Massacre. At least 142 people across Syria died on that day, including over 100 in Hama alone, and 29 in Deir ez-Zor. Hundreds more have been wounded. By 4 August, more than 200 civilians had been killed in Hama.
Background
Hama has been the epicenter of Syrian uprisings since the very event of the 1963 Ba'athist coup. As early as 1964, a widescale riot1964 Hama riot
1964 Hama riot was the first significant clash between the newly installed Ba'ath party leadership of Syria and the Islamic Brotherhood. It occurred in April 1964, shortly after the 1963 Ba'athist coup d'état. The insurrection was suppressed with heavy military force, resulting in 70-100 mortal...
, often described as uprising
1964 Hama riot
1964 Hama riot was the first significant clash between the newly installed Ba'ath party leadership of Syria and the Islamic Brotherhood. It occurred in April 1964, shortly after the 1963 Ba'athist coup d'état. The insurrection was suppressed with heavy military force, resulting in 70-100 mortal...
, broke out in the city, and was violently suppressed by the military, resulting in more than 70 citizens killed. Violence occurred once again during the 1976–1982 Islamic uprising in Syria
Islamic uprising in Syria
The Islamic uprising in Syria was a series of revolts and armed insurgency by Sunni Islamists, mainly members of the Muslim Brotherhood from 1976 until 1982. The uprising was aimed against the authority of the Ba'ath Party-controlled government of Syria, in what has been called "long campaign of...
, when hundreds of Hama citizens were executed in the April 1981 crackdown
April 1981 Hama massacre
The April 1981 Hama massacre occurred after a failed terrorist attack on an Alawite village near Hama. In return, the Syria army killed about 400 of the terrorists who attempted the attack.-Background:...
, whereas in February 1982, a much larger scale massacre
Hama massacre
The Hama massacre occurred in February 1982, when the Syrian army, under the orders of the president of Syria Hafez al-Assad, conducted a scorched earth policy against the town of Hama in order to quell a revolt by the Sunni Muslim community against the regime of al-Assad...
took place in Hama, following an armed and organized uprising of Islamic groups
Hama massacre
The Hama massacre occurred in February 1982, when the Syrian army, under the orders of the president of Syria Hafez al-Assad, conducted a scorched earth policy against the town of Hama in order to quell a revolt by the Sunni Muslim community against the regime of al-Assad...
, centered in the city. The 1982 Hama massacre
Hama massacre
The Hama massacre occurred in February 1982, when the Syrian army, under the orders of the president of Syria Hafez al-Assad, conducted a scorched earth policy against the town of Hama in order to quell a revolt by the Sunni Muslim community against the regime of al-Assad...
claimed the lives of some 10,000 - 25,000 Hama citizens and Islamic militants and as many as 1,000 Syrian Army personnel.
Prelude
Disturbances in Hama began on 3 June 2011, primarily in the city center, and on occasion in the suburbs. The Syrian security forces shot dead up to 25 people when they dispersed a demonstration by tens of locals in the city of Hama on Friday 3 June 2011.On 1 July 2011, with more than 400,000 protestors, Hama witnessed the largest demonstration against Bashar al-Assad
Bashar al-Assad
Bashar al-Assad is the President of Syria and Regional Secretary of the Ba'ath Party. His father Hafez al-Assad ruled Syria for 29 years until his death in 2000. Al-Assad was elected in 2000, re-elected in 2007, unopposed each time.- Early Life :...
. Soon after, Assad sacked Hama's governor. Two days after, Syrian tanks deployed at Hama, in an operation that led to more than 20 civilians killed by the Syrian security forces and two rape cases were witnessed.
The siege
As the city of Hama became one of the main opposition centers of the popular uprising
2011 Syrian uprising
The 2011 Syrian uprising is an ongoing internal conflict occurring in Syria. Protests started on 26 January 2011, and escalated into an uprising by 15 March 2011...
, taking place in Syria, Hama turned into a focal point of growing violence. An armed blockade was imposed on the city on 3 July.
On 6 July, a surprising step was taken by the US ambassador, Robert Ford, when he visited Hama and declared that he will stay there till Friday. Syria reacted with anger with this visit. On 8 July, more than 500,000 Syrians flooded through the city of Hama, according to activists, in what they claim was the single biggest protest yet against the embattled government of President Bashar al-Assad
Bashar al-Assad
Bashar al-Assad is the President of Syria and Regional Secretary of the Ba'ath Party. His father Hafez al-Assad ruled Syria for 29 years until his death in 2000. Al-Assad was elected in 2000, re-elected in 2007, unopposed each time.- Early Life :...
. Demonstrators in Hama have received the US ambassadors with flowers to express their gratitude of the visit and to reach their voices to the world.
JJ Harder, the press attaché of the US embassy in Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
, later told Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera is an independent broadcaster owned by the state of Qatar through the Qatar Media Corporation and headquartered in Doha, Qatar...
: "Our ambassador Robert Ford was in Hama earlier this month, and he saw with his own eyes the violence that they are talking about. There was none. He maybe saw one teenager with a stick at a checkpoint, and the government is going on with these absolute fabrications about armed gangs running the streets of Hama and elsewhere. Hama has shown itself to be a model of peaceful protest. That was why our ambassador chose to go there."
The French ambassador joined the US one on that day to show the French support to the victims.
7 July had seen both the French and American ambassadors to Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
toured some of the nation’s hotspots. The American ambassador Robert Ford, had travelled, with the French ambassador Éric Chevallier to the city of Hama in what Robert Ford said was a gesture of solidarity with local protesters there.
On 8 July, more tanks were deployed around the outskirts of Hama, as part of a strengthening blockade, following protests involving an estimated 500,000 people the previous weekend. It has been estimated that up to 350,000 of the city's 700,000 population have taken part in many of the protests
29–30 July
Over 500,000 citizens had rallied in the city on 29 July, following Muslim prayers in which a pro-rebel cleric told the congregation "the regime must go". Local support for the Assad regime had imploded by 30 July in both HomsHoms
Homs , previously known as Emesa , is a city in western Syria and the capital of the Homs Governorate. It is above sea level and is located north of Damascus...
, Deir ez-Zor and Hama
Hama
Hama is a city on the banks of the Orontes River in west-central Syria north of Damascus. It is the provincial capital of the Hama Governorate. Hama is the fourth-largest city in Syria—behind Aleppo, Damascus, and Homs—with a population of 696,863...
. President Assad sent his "Terror Buses" packed with private Alawite
Alawite
The Alawis, also known as Alawites, Nusayris and Ansaris are a prominent mystical and syncretic religious group centred in Syria who are a branch of Shia Islam.-Etymology:...
militia and party loyalists into Hama on 30 July.
31 July
On the eve of RamadanRamadan
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which lasts 29 or 30 days. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex during daylight hours and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and...
, Syria witnessed the bloodiest day in its 139-day uprising against the single-party regime, in which the Alawi
Alawi
The Alawis, also known as Alawites, Nusayris and Ansaris are a prominent mystical and syncretic religious group centred in Syria who are a branch of Shia Islam.-Etymology:...
-run government has allegedly targeted Sunni, Druze
Druze
The Druze are an esoteric, monotheistic religious community, found primarily in Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan, which emerged during the 11th century from Ismailism. The Druze have an eclectic set of beliefs that incorporate several elements from Abrahamic religions, Gnosticism, Neoplatonism...
and Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
groups from across the country.
Abdel Rahman of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on 31 July that Syrian security forces launched an offensive at 5:00 am (0200 GMT) on Muadhamiya, to the north, then encircled Hama shortly afterwards.
In a separate incident on the same day, political prisoners attempted to mutiny in Hama's central prison, to which security forces responded with live ammunition. The death toll in the prison is unknown. The state news agency reported that eight policemen were killed in clashes in Hama.
The government has blamed much of the violence on terrorists and militants, who it says have killed hundreds of security personnel. At least 136 people have died, over 100 in Hama alone, and 19 in Deir ez-Zor. Hundreds more have been wounded. The crackdown was the most intense of the 2011 Syrian uprising
2011 Syrian uprising
The 2011 Syrian uprising is an ongoing internal conflict occurring in Syria. Protests started on 26 January 2011, and escalated into an uprising by 15 March 2011...
thus far, with over 2200 protesters dead since 15 March.
One Hama resident, a doctor who did not want to be identified for fear of arrest, told Reuters
Reuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
that tanks were attacking Hama from four different directions and "firing randomly". Another resident said snipers had climbed onto the roofs of the state-owned electricity company and the main prison, and that electricity had been cut in eastern neighbourhoods. Syrian government tanks also fired on mosques where the loudspeakers broadcast, "Allah Akbar".
A United Nations Security Council
United Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security Council is one of the principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security. Its powers, outlined in the United Nations Charter, include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of...
resolution condemning Syria was proposed by Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and the Security Council met on the night of 31 July to debate the situation in Syria.
Syrian dissidents claimed that the tank assault on Hama on 31 July, in which 84 people had died, was an attempt to pacify and regain control of the city ahead of Ramadan and to avert protests during the holy month.
1 August
Syrian security forces continued to bombard Hama on 1 August. Many of Hama's residents braved the obvious danger to head to mosques for dawn prayers. As they emerged onto the streets, the shelling resumed. Three worshipers were struck down and killed, while a fourth was shot dead by a sniper as he got into his car, opposition activists said. Tank shells struck residential buildings in the suburbs of al-Qousour and Al-Hamidiya. "The tanks are firing at random," one resident said. "They don't care who they hit. The aim seems to be to kill and terrify as many people as possible." "The number of those wounded is huge and hospitals cannot cope, particularly because we lack the adequate equipment," said Hama hospital worker, Dr Abdel Rahman. "It seems strange that the international community seems to care less about the people of Hama than the people of Benghazi," said Omar, a rebel activist in Damascus. The death toll in Hama and Homs was reportedly ’slightly enlarged’ according to the local governorate's sources. Government tanks also moved in on the eastern town of Albu Kamal. In the nearby city of Deir al-Zour, had witnessed upwards to 29 over that weekend.Activists and witnesses said at least 24 civilians were killed in attacks on several cities, including Hama, on 1 August. Later that day, The European Union imposed travel bans on five more military and government officials and extended sanctions against Assad's government, including Syrian Defence Minister
Defence minister
A defence minister is a person in a cabinet position in charge of a Ministry of Defence, which regulates the armed forces in some sovereign nations...
Ali Habib Mahmud
Ali Habib Mahmud
Lieutenant General Ali Habib Mahmud is a Syrian military officer who served as Syria's Minister of Defense from June 2009 until August 2011. He was a part of Assad's inner circle.-Early life, education and career:...
.
2 August
The UN’s security council met to discuss the situation in Syria on 2 August. The USUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, UK and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
wanted to formally condemn Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, but Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and China were afraid that "it could be used as a pretext for military intervention in Syria".
On 2 August, Syrian dissident Radwan Ziadeh asked US President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to demand President Bashar al-Assad
Bashar al-Assad
Bashar al-Assad is the President of Syria and Regional Secretary of the Ba'ath Party. His father Hafez al-Assad ruled Syria for 29 years until his death in 2000. Al-Assad was elected in 2000, re-elected in 2007, unopposed each time.- Early Life :...
to step down.
3–4 August
By the morning 3 August 2011, the city was under nearly continuous gunfire since the early hours of the morning and by midday Syrian army tanks stormed through rebel’s barricades in city of Hama, occupying a central square. A post on the Syrian Revolution Facebook page read “The army is now stationed in Assi Square,” and “The heroic youths of HamaHama
Hama is a city on the banks of the Orontes River in west-central Syria north of Damascus. It is the provincial capital of the Hama Governorate. Hama is the fourth-largest city in Syria—behind Aleppo, Damascus, and Homs—with a population of 696,863...
are confronting them and banning them from entering neighborhoods.”
The water, electricity and all communications in Hama
Hama
Hama is a city on the banks of the Orontes River in west-central Syria north of Damascus. It is the provincial capital of the Hama Governorate. Hama is the fourth-largest city in Syria—behind Aleppo, Damascus, and Homs—with a population of 696,863...
and its surrounding villages and towns had been cut off, according to nearby online posts on social networking sites.
The accounts could not be independently confirmed because the Syrian government banned foreign journalists from entering the country to report. Shaam, an online video channel that is aligned to the protest movement, posted a video dated 3 August that showed at least one tank attacking a neighbourhood that the narrator said was Hayy al-Hader in Hama; heavy plumes of smoke could be seen rising in the sky.
On 3 August, following the attacks, workers in Hama declared three days of general strike in memory of those killed by security forces.
The town’s pro-democracy movement, the Local Coordination Committee, had emailed a statement saying that shelling was especially concentrated in the Janoub al-Mala’ab and Manakh districts. The group also claimed in the E-mail
E-mail
Electronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the...
that civilians were being shot and houses shelled. Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory For Human Rights, warned that “We might be witnessing another massacre in Hama.”
Russia’s Foreign Ministry's Middle East and North Africa Department chief, Sergei Vershinin, reminded the UN that his country was not "categorically" against adopting a UN resolution condemning the violence in Syria, but the Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister, Faisal Mekdad
Faisal Mekdad
Faisal Mekdad is the Deputy Foreign Minister of Syria. At a meeting of the UN Human Rights Council, he denied allegations that the Syrian government was violently cracking down on Arab spring protesters in Syria.-See also:*2011 Syrian uprising...
urged India to ignore Western "propaganda" if there was a vote over it in the Security Council.
A total of 200 were killed in Hama by 4 August.
Supranational organisations
The Security Council passed a resolution that "condemns widespread violations of human rights and the use of force against civilians by the Syrian authorities." on 4 August.The European Union imposed travel bans on five more military and government officials and extended sanctions against Mr Assad's ruling clique on 1 August.
States
-The chairman of the German government's committee on foreign relations declared that there should be a global boycott of Syrian gas and oil exports with the aim to pressure Syria into ending its violence against protesters. Meanwhile, on the same day (8 August), a German government spokesman declared that if Assad continues to reject dialogue and resort to violence, the Syrian government will lose its legitimacy.– Foreign Minister Franco Frattini called the events in Hama “a horrible act of violent repression against protesters."
– Former Prime Minister and leader of the March 14 alliance
March 14 Alliance
The March 14 alliance , named after the date of the Cedar Revolution, is a coalition of political parties and independents in Lebanon that call for sovereignty over all Lebanese territories, led by MP Saad Hariri, younger son of Rafik Hariri, the assassinated former prime minister of Lebanon, as...
Saad Hariri
Saad Hariri
Saad-eddine Rafiq Al-Hariri is a Saudi-Lebanese billionaire who served as the Prime Minister of Lebanon from 2009 until 2011. He is the second son of Rafiq Hariri, the former Lebanese Prime Minister who was assassinated in 2005...
condemned what he called a "massacre" and the "bloody murders" that he said the Syrian people endure.
- On 1 August, the Kremlin
Kremlin
A kremlin , same root as in kremen is a major fortified central complex found in historic Russian cities. This word is often used to refer to the best-known one, the Moscow Kremlin, or metonymically to the government that is based there...
, which has been a Syrian ally, in the person of President Dmitri A. Medvedev strongly condemned the regime's actions in Hama, calling them "unacceptable."
- President
President of Turkey
The President of Turkey is the head of state of the Republic of Turkey. The presidency is largely a ceremonial office but has some important functions...
Abdullah Gül
Abdullah Gül
Dr. Abdullah Gül, GCB is the 11th and current President of the Republic of Turkey, serving in that office since 28 August 2007. He previously served for four months as Prime Minister from 2002-03, and as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2003-07....
expressed horror over Syrian security forces' use of heavy weapons, including tanks, to quell civilian protests. "It's impossible to remain silent in the face of events visible to everyone. I urge the Syrian administration to stop violence against people and to carry out reforms to build the country's future on the base of peace and stability. We cannot remain silent and accept a bloody atmosphere," Gül said.
- A press release from the British Prime Minister’s office requested that President Bashar-al Assad 'should reform or step aside' on the noon of 1 August.
- Foreign Secretary William HagueWilliam HagueWilliam Jefferson Hague is the British Foreign Secretary and First Secretary of State. He served as Leader of the Conservative Party from June 1997 to September 2001...
condemned the attack later that day, but said that that any military action was not even "a remote possibility" and "There is no prospect of a legal, morally sanctioned military intervention".
– President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
said the reports from Hama were horrifying and demonstrated the true character of the Syrian regime. "Once again, President Assad has shown that he is completely incapable and unwilling to respond to the legitimate grievances of the Syrian people," he said. He said he was appalled by the government's use of "violence and brutality against its own people". President Obama also vowed to diplomatically isolate president Bashar al-Assad as various human rights groups said that Syrian forces killed nearly 140 people in Syria on 31 July, including 100 when the army stormed the flashpoint city of Hama.