Government Rejects Rebel Calls for Cease-Fire, Says Taking Aleppo Is ‘Huge Step’

Taking Aleppo would be a “huge step” toward ending the war, Syrian president Bashar al-Assad said in an interview with the Syrian daily al-Watan, Al Jazeera reported.

“It’s true that Aleppo will be a win for us, but let’s be realistic – it won’t mean the end of the war in Syria,” Assad said. “But it will be a huge step towards this end.”

In an intense three-week offensive, government and allied forces have taken control of nearly 80 percent of eastern Aleppo city, held by rebels since 2012. Rebel calls for a five-day cease-fire on Wednesday were echoed by six Western countries including the U.S., U.K., France and Germany. The offer was rejected by the Syrian government and its Russian allies, with Assad saying the possibility of a truce is “practically nonexistent.”

“The Americans, in particular, are insisting on demanding a truce, because their terrorist agents are now in a difficult situation,” he told al-Watan.

Syria and Russia have said they will not consider a cease-fire unless rebels leave Aleppo, Radio Free Europe reported.

In an interview with the Lebanese station al-Mayadeen, which is pro-Syrian government, Assad said “the decision to liberate all of Syria is taken and Aleppo is part of it,” adding that Russia was on board. “No decision is issued without discussions between the two countries.”

Russia and U.S. Close to Aleppo Deal, Kremlin Says

Russia and the U.S. are close to reaching a deal on Aleppo according to Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov, Al Jazeera reported.

“We are close to reaching an understanding, but I want to warn against high expectations,” Ryabkov said.

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and his U.S. counterpart John Kerry are set to meet today in Hamburg following brief talks on Wednesday. A potential deal would provide a safe exit for Syrian rebels from Aleppo, according to the Kremlin.

Reported Israeli Missiles Target Damascus Military Airport, Lieberman Says Assad ‘Must Be Out’

Israeli missiles targeted a military airport on the outskirts of Damascus, according to Syrian state media, BBC News reported.

This is the second alleged Israeli attack on Syrian territory this week. The attack reportedly caused fires but no casualties.

The Israeli military made no comment on the attack on Thursday, but Israeli defense minister Avigdor Lieberman said on Wednesday that Israel is making efforts to prevent weapons of mass destruction being moved from Syria to the Lebanese Hezbollah movement, Haaretz reported.

Israel has largely remained on the sidelines of Syria’s war, responding only to errant fire and targeting weapons convoys and positions associated with Hezbollah. Israel has no intention of intervening in Syria, Lieberman said, but “the Iranians and Assad must be out.”

The Israeli attack on the military airport in Mezzeh is “a desperate attempt to support the terrorist groups and raise their morale,” said Syrian state-run news agency SANA, referencing recent losses suffered by Western-backed rebels in Syria. The Syrian government uses the word “terrorist” as a blanket term for the opposition.

Recommended Reads:

• Al Monitor: Turkey’s Shredded Syria Policy
• The Guardian: Remembrance of Tastes Past: Syria’s Disappearing Food Culture
• Der Spiegel: The Death Strip at the Turkish–Syrian Border
• The Atlantic Council: In Eulogy for My Brother: ‘Our Lives Have Become Like This’
• NPR: As Syrian Government Forces Advance, the War Could Be at a Turning Point