Ray of hope for Syria

A cease-fire brokered by US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Saturday offers a ray of hope for an end to the conflict in Syria that has killed hundreds of thousands of people.

Russia and the United States reached a truce agreement in February, but it failed to stop armed conflicts between Syria's government and opposition forces. The new deal demands the Syrian government and opposition factions not use force so that humanitarian aid can be provided to long-besieged towns and villages.

At the same time, Russia will urge the Syrian government to stop military actions against opposition forces in specific areas, and, in return, the US will demand Syria's "mild" opposition forces separate themselves from the extremist Fateh al-Sham Front. If a cessation of hostilities holds for one week, the US and Russia will strengthen their military cooperation in Syria, such as sharing intelligence and conducting joint operations against jihadists.