The head of a U.N. panel investigating human rights abuses in Syria has warned against military strikes on Syria, saying it would only increase civilian suffering. Paulo Pinheiro, the chair of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria, addressed reporters in Geneva.

Paulo Pinheiro: “There is an urgent need for a cessation of hostilities and a return to negotiations leading to a political settlement. To elect military action in Syria will not only intensify the suffering inside the country but will also serve to keep such a settlement beyond our collective reach.”