Throughout the war, a lingering quandary has prevented any progress between the government and dissidents.

Al-Assad has said he will not deal with "terrorists," a term the government often uses to describe the opposition.

Similarly, opposition members have said they will not work directly with al-Assad's "criminal" government, nor will they accept any plan that doesn't involve al-Assad's departure.

With neither rebels nor government troops backing down, it's unclear how many more thousands of civilians may die.