Damascus offers four-day truce to SDF, demands rapid integration plan

Syria announced a four-day ceasefire with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in northeastern Hasakah province, setting a strict deadline for the SDF to submit a plan to integrate local forces and administration into central state structures and to nominate an assistant to the defence minister in Damascus. Government statements framed the pause as a limited diplomatic window; officials warned that failure to deliver an acceptable plan within four days would prompt Syrian forces to enter two SDF-held cities.

Syria’s ambassador to the United Nations, Ibrahim Olabi, presented the truce as a pause to allow talks on integrating Hasakah, saying Damascus had been working constructively for a year, had proposed multiple integration models and hoped the agreement would hold. He also indicated that the United States would work alongside Syria to ensure implementation. The government described the four days as a step toward a broader settlement rather than an open-ended negotiation.

The SDF accepted the ceasefire and publicly pledged restraint, stating it “would not initiate military action ‘unless our forces are subjected to attacks’ or ‘unless attacked.’” The declaration of pause follows weeks of rapid government advances in the northeast and a noticeable reduction in external support for autonomous SDF administration, developments that have shifted the balance on the ground and increased pressure on Kurdish-led authorities.

Washington has urged the SDF to embrace the integration offer. U.S. envoy Tom Barrack described the current moment as the “greatest opportunity” for Kurdish forces to integrate, arguing that “the original purpose of the SDF as the primary anti‑ISIS force on the ground has largely expired” and that recent U.S. actions show Washington is “actively facilitating this transition.” A White House official added that all parties must “exercise maximum restraint, avoid actions that could further escalate tensions, and prioritize the protection of civilians across all minority groups.”

Operational and humanitarian challenges complicate any rapid handover. Hasakah is a mixed Kurdish and Arab region and hosts the al-Hol camp, which houses thousands of women and children linked to Islamic State affiliates, as well as separate detention facilities holding thousands of accused IS militants. Damascus officials have accused the SDF of releasing some detainees and their families; those claims have not been independently verified. Any integration plan will need to address the custody, security and legal status of these camps and prisons, a politically sensitive and technically complex task.

The SDF itself is a coalition with diverse composition: Kurdish fighters are estimated to make up roughly 30 percent of the forces while Arab tribal elements and groups with varied affiliations fill the remainder. How Damascus intends to incorporate fighters with ties to the Kurdistan Workers Party into national command structures remains a core unresolved question and a potential flashpoint.

The ceasefire’s durability is uncertain. Previous pauses have collapsed after disputes over timelines and sovereign guarantees, and the new four-day deadline is likely to test both parties’ willingness to compromise. For Damascus, the public timeline signals an intent to reassert central authority; for the SDF, accepting integration risks political marginalization and security gaps. Regional actors, including Turkey and Iraq, are watching closely, and the immediate priority for diplomats and humanitarian agencies will be keeping violence away from civilian areas and securing sensitive detention sites while negotiations proceed.