Ceasefire Live Blog

Russia says the ceasefire is generally holding in Syria despite some violations and should be seen as an achievement saving the country from a broader civil war.

"Despite the existing violations and provocations, the ceasefire is holding overall. This is a great achievement whose loss could lead to a dangerous retreat to a new wave of violence," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

The Russian foreign ministry said Syria was currently facing a choice of either "moving toward a peaceful national dialogue or retreating to civil war."

"And every participant of the domestic conflict must make their choice."

The ministry added that it also intended to soon host members of the main Syrian National Council opposition bloc in hopes of establishing dialogue. [AFP]

Idlib has reportedly been under sustained attacks today in which several people were killed. 

This video uploaded to YouTube by activists purports to indicate these attacks. 

A UN-Arab League peace plan for Syria has only a three per cent chance of working, the emir of Qatar said on a visit to Rome, as a UN-backed ceasefire was marred by ongoing violence.

Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani told a press conference on Monday that the chances for success "are no higher than three percent", and that the Syrian people should not be supported through peaceful means but "with arms".

Qatar has taken a hawkish stance in favour of the year-old rebellion against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Prime Minister Mario Monti, who stressed the "close collaboration" between Italy and Qatar on the topic of Syria, said Rome was willing to send in observers to help oversee a truce aimed at ending 13 months of bloodshed.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Monday that 11,117 people have been killed in 13 months of unrest, 7,972 civilians and 3,145 military and gunmen, including fewer than 600 rebel fighters.

Earlier this month, Syria's UN envoy demanded that Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Western nations not undermine Annan's peace mission by paying and supporting opposition groups.

[Source: AFP] 

UN human rights investigators said that they had received reports of shelling and arrests by Syrian forces since the ceasefire, as well as the executions of some soldiers captured by rebel forces, although the level of violence was generally lower. 

In a statement, the team led by Brazilian expert Paulo Pinheiro voiced concern at what it called the "deteriorating humanitarian situation" in Syria where tens of thousands of civilians fled escalating fighting in the run-up to the truce that took effect last week. 

It acknowledged on Monday a "generally lower level of violence" in some parts of Syria since the truce, but said "it is seriously concerned over accounts of a number of incidents since then, including the shelling of the Khaldieh neighbourhood and other districts in Homs by government forces and the use of heavy weaponry, such as machine guns in other areas, including Idlib and some suburbs of Damascus."

"The commission is also concerned by reports of new arrests, especially in Hama and Aleppo," it said in its statement.

[Source: Reuters]