A unilateral ceasefire intended to halt the deadliest urban combat in post-Assad Syria appeared on the brink of collapse Friday, as Kurdish local councils in Aleppo fiercely rejected a government ultimatum to evacuate their strongholds.
As of January 9, 2026, a tense standoff has gripped the northern metropolis. While the Syrian Defense Ministry declared a pause in fighting at 3:00 a.m. to allow for a withdrawal, Kurdish leadership in the contested districts of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh dismissed the terms as a "call to surrender." Instead of complying with the six-hour window granted for their departure, the councils have vowed to defend their neighborhoods, setting the stage for a potentially violent confrontation as government troops begin to advance.
The Standoff: Evacuation Order vs. Resistance
The unilateral truce was announced following three days of relentless shelling that shattered the relative peace established after the ouster of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. The Syrian government offered the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) safe passage to northeast Syria, permitting fighters to leave only with light personal weapons.
Security forces and Syrian army units have reportedly already begun deploying into parts of Ashrafiyeh and Bani Zaid under the assumption that a withdrawal was underway. However, the defiance from local Kurdish councils has created a volatile flashpoint. With the six-hour deadline expiring and Kurdish fighters digging in rather than evacuating, the risk of renewed, close-quarters combat is imminent.
Humanitarian Catastrophe: Freezing and Fleeing
Caught between the ultimatum and the resistance are tens of thousands of civilians. The violence leading up to Friday’s tense quiet has triggered a massive humanitarian crisis:
Mass Displacement: An estimated 140,000 to 142,000 residents have fled the violence.
Winter Conditions: Families are seeking refuge in unheated mosques and temporary shelters, battling freezing winter temperatures with few resources.
Casualties: At least 22 people have been killed since Tuesday, including women and children.
Medical Collapse: Three hospitals have been damaged or forced to close due to the bombardment.
International Fallout: Promises of a "New Syria" Tested
The escalation has drawn immediate diplomatic intervention. U.S. envoy Tom Barrack attempted to calm the waters, welcoming the "temporary ceasefire" and praising the restraint shown by all parties.
However, the tone was starkly different from Israel. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar condemned the Syrian government's aggression, warning that the repression of the Kurdish minority betrays the promises of a "new Syria" and undermines the stability of the post-regime transition.
Photo: Al Jazeera