Assad Agreed to Local Cease-Fires in Syria — But War Crimes Worsen in Eastern Ghouta

Summary: Abu Fahed, a Syrian rebel and resident of the district of Eastern Ghouta, was on his way home from work a few weeks ago when he lost five members of his family. He had been building hillforts in Jobar, part of the effort to keep Eastern Ghouta, a hotly contested area on the outskirts of Damascus, in rebel hands. He stopped in at his sister’s home on his way back to the town of Kafr Batna, where he lives. That’s when Abu Fahed heard aircraft attacks in the area.