Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has warned the United States and Russia must urgently broker a peace deal to stop the bloodletting in Syria following "appalling" reports of mass atrocities in Aleppo.
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A ceasefire in the devastated city, finalised overnight, has been undermined by what the United Nations said were credible reports that pro-Syrian forces had executed dozens of civilians as they evacuated the former rebel stronghold.
Ms Bishop said the claims must be investigated and a political solution was the only way to end the civil war, which has now raged for six years and has killed hundreds of thousands of people.
"This is one of the worst humanitarian disasters that we have witnessed in many, many years," she said. "There are reports of mass atrocities. They must be investigated. This is an appalling humanitarian disaster and the conflict has to end."
It was the Australian government's contention that no military solution could be brokered while either side believed they could defeat the opposition's forces, Ms Bishop said.
Rather, a political solution overseen by Russia – allied to the regime of Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad - and the US was the only feasible way to end the violence, she said.
"Russia and the US must find a way forward to stop the killing and to allow humanitarian relief to be provided," Ms Bishop told ABC radio on Wednesday. "Those backing Syria and those backing the opposition must sit down to discuss a peace deal."
Rupert Colville, a spokesman for the UN Human Rights Council, said his office in Geneva received reports that pro-Syrian government forces in Aleppo had killed at least 82 civilians just hours before the ceasefire, entering homes and killing people "on the spot".
Others were reportedly shot as they fled. A list of names provided to the UN included 11 women and 13 children, Mr Colville said.
The Syrian Army has recaptured virtually all of Aleppo, the country's biggest city, which had been largely under rebel control for four years. The ceasefire, negotiated by Russia and Turkey, ostensibly allows remaining combatants and civilians to evacuate.
Ms Bishop said it had been clear for a long time that the ousting of President Al-Assad could not be part of any peace deal.
"Assad will have to remain to be part of the political solution and the post-Assad transition," she said on Wednesday. "To say that Assad must go, I'm afraid that moment passed a long time ago."
Ms Bishop, who yesterday announced the development of a new foreign policy white paper, also dismissed speculation in a News Corp report that she no longer wanted to be foreign minister.
"I chose foreign affairs and I intend to remain in foreign affairs," she told ABC radio.
- with The Washington Post, Reuters
