The top United Nations human rights official has said that the siege and bombing of eastern Aleppo in Syria has constituted “crimes of historic proportions.” Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein spoke earlier today during a special session of the U.N. Human Rights Council.

Zeid Ra’ad al Hussein: “Armed opposition groups continue to fire mortars and other projectiles into civilian neighborhoods of western Aleppo, but indiscriminate airstrikes across the eastern part of the city by government forces and their allies are responsible for the overwhelming majority of civilian casualties. And these violations constitute war crimes. And if knowingly committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against civilians, they’d constitute crimes against humanity.”