German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande have sharply criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday for airstrikes targeting civilians in Syria and they raised the possibility of new sanctions against Russia.

At a joint news conference here, following their meeting with the Putin, Merkel and Hollande demanded an immediate halt to the bombardment of Aleppo and called for the extension of a unilateral cease-fire declared by Russia.

“We have had a very clear and hard debate,” Merkel told reporters, referring to discussions with Putin on Syria, and she said Germany believes some of the airstrikes amount to war crimes under international law.

“The bombardments there are inhuman, they are a horrible experience for the civilians,” Merkel said.

She emphasized that Russia has a clear responsibility in Syria and that Moscow should use its influence on the regime of Bashar al-Assad to stop the killings, to ease the living conditions of civilians and facilitate a political solution to the conflict.

Hollande also sharpened his criticism of Russia and demanded that heavy the bombardment of Aleppo should stop immediately.

“What is happening right now in Aleppo is a war crime, a real war crime,” he said.

“I cannot tolerate violence against civilian population under the pretext of fight against terrorism,” he added.

Asked about the possibility of new European sanctions against Russia for its role in Syria, Hollande did not rule out moving toward such an option and said EU leaders would discuss the issue during a summit in Brussels later this week.

Merkel left open the possibility of sanctions, saying it would remain among options on the table. But she also underlined that the priority at the moments is to find ways to deliver urgent humanitarian aid to Syrians in besieged areas.

Hollande also demanded a long-term cease-fire to allow unhindered humanitarian access.

The French president said that during the meeting with Putin, he had the impression the Russian president might extend the unilateral cease-fire Moscow announced for Aleppo, but he did not elaborate.

Amid growing international pressure, Russia announced Wednesday an 11-hour pause in Aleppo on Oct. 20, but also called on civilians to leave the city, signaling a new offensive after the end of the brief cease-fire.

Hundreds of civilians have reportedly been killed or injured in Russian and Syrian airstrikes since Sept. 19, when Assad regime announced the end of a week-long truce.

Syria has been locked in a vicious war since early 2011, when the Assad cracked down on protests -- which erupted as part of the "Arab Spring" uprisings -- with unexpected ferocity.

Since then, almost half a million people have been killed and more than 10 million displaced across the war-torn country, according to UN figures.

PHOTO CAPTION

A man rides a bicycle near damaged buildings in the opposition held besieged al-Sukkari neighborhood of Aleppo, Syria October 19, 2016. REUTERS

AA