A Syrian opposition group said on Thursday that peace in the country is not possible as long as President Bashar al-Assad remains in power, Israel Hayom reports.
The stance comes ahead of possible peace talks in Russia, which has been an ally of Assad.
Moaz al-Khatib, a former opposition chief and former imam of the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, posted a statement on his Facebook page on Thursday which said there would not be a solution "without the departure of the head of the regime."
Assad has previously dismissed calls by Khatib and other figures to step down. Opposition groups and their Western and Arab allies say the Syrian president has lost legitimacy and must go.
Khatib said the statement was on behalf of the Syria al-Watan (Home) organization and was addressed to the Syrian people. It was not clear whether he was the head of the group and which other members it included. He was not immediately available for comment.
The statement also said any talks would only be taken seriously if they ordered the government to stop the "brutal bombardment" of the Syrian people which it described as "one of the biggest crimes in the history of humanity."