Assad, rebels agree to temporary ceasefire to allow aid access to wounded, but ICRC teams remain on standby as fighting rages.
Syrians demonstrate near Homs 370 (R)(photo credit: REUTERS/Shaam News Network)ByREUTERSBEIRUT - The Syrian army was shelling central districts of Homs on Thursday, residents said, after rebels and forces loyal to President Bashar Assad agreed to a temporary truce to allow aid access to the sick and wounded.Teams from the International Committee of the Red Cross and its partner the Syrian Red Crescent were on standby. More than 10 days of heavy fighting has left hundreds of civilians stuck in the old city of Homs, unable to leave the battlefield, the ICRC said on Wednesday.Waleed Faris, a resident of one of the neighborhoods the ICRC was trying to enter, said shelling was heaviest at dawn on Thursday but there were signs the violence may be subsiding."Early this morning there was heavy shelling. Now I can hear one or two mortars fall every half an hour. It is quiet today compared to the past few days," he said, adding that two people had died in his neighborhood of Khalidiya on Thursday.Rabab al-Rifai, a spokeswoman for the ICRC in Damascus, said a small ICRC team left the capital on Wednesday for Homs and joined tens of Syrian Arab Red Crescent volunteers in the city."We got the OK from the authorities and opposition groups also gave us assurances that they would respect the pause (in fighting)," she told Reuters by telephone."But that is one thing, and practical details on the spot - contacts, verification and making sure our teams can enter safely without hindrance - is important."Click for full JPost coverageHoms has been at the center of the 15-month revolt against Assad and became the focus of world concern in February and March, when opposition-held neighborhoods endured weeks of government bombardments and sniper fire in which hundreds of people were killed.A Homs resident said a similar evacuation agreement was reached a few days ago but collapsed when shots were fired by Assad's forces. The government said on Tuesday it was trying to evacuate civilians and blamed rebel fighters for obstructing efforts to get people out safely.See more onHomsRECOMMENDED STORIESHow is Iran still launching missiles at Israel despite Israeli airstrikes?JUNE 16, 2025IDF pummels Tehran with heavy fire, 50 Israeli fighter jets take part in attacksJUNE 15, 2025A volcano ready to blow: Middle East erupts with Israeli strikes on IranJUNE 15, 2025Starlink operating in Iran, Elon Musk says, as Islamic regime shuts internet downJUNE 14, 2025Hot OpinionNow is the time for a unity government to provide clarity within the chaosByJPOST EDITORIALAs Iran vows our destruction, Israel unitesByYAIR LAPIDFive takeaways from the bomb shelter: Reflections on the Israel-Iran WarByDAVID BRINNIsrael strikes Iran: Strategic success or start of an uncertain future?BySUSAN HATTIS ROLEF