Dozens killed and thousands displaced as hostilities escalate in Syria

As rebel fighters continue to advance in Syria, government forces have stepped up strikes on the rebel-held city of Idlib, as well as positions in Aleppo.

According to the Syrian White Helmets, an opposition-run rescue service, three civilians were killed in Idlib following a strike on a hospital on Monday. They said two airstrikes hit four hospitals and the health directorate building in Idlib city.

Two people in Idlib University Hospital died after their oxygen machines turned off following the strikes, officials said.

Footage captured at the hospital showed ceiling panels and doors being torn off, while ambulances and vehicles parked outside were severely damaged.

At least 15 civilians were killed in Idlib city and province, according to the White Helmets.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Monday that since 26 November, over 48,500 people have been displaced, with key infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, and water stations, damaged in the escalating hostilities between Syrian rebels and government forces.

OCHA also said at least 44 people have been killed, including 12 children.

The 13-year civil war in Syria roared back into prominence with a surprise rebel offensive that captured Aleppo, one of Syria’s largest cities and an ancient hub of Middle Eastern culture and commerce.

Insurgents led by the radical group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham launched the two-pronged attack on Aleppo last week and moved into the countryside around Idlib and neighbouring Hama province.

The Syrian military and its foreign allies have rushed reinforcements and launched airstrikes as they attempted to stall their momentum.