Moscow has announced a further humanitarian pause in the bombed city of Aleppo which it is feared signals that Russian-backed Syrian forces are on the verge of a final push to oust rebels from the city once and for all.

The break in hostilities is planned for daylight hours on Friday, with two corridors opened for rebels, whom are allowed to take their arms, and six others for civilians and the wounded.

It has been comprehensively rejected by the estimated 8,000 rebel fighters inside east Aleppo’s siege barricades: one group described it as a media stunt for “public consumption”.

Both rebel and Western officials have expressed worries that Russia plans a renewed onslaught while Washington's attention is focused on the American presidential election on 8 November.

There have been several such pauses in which humanitarian passageways have been opened from besieged east Aleppo into government held west Aleppo in recent weeks, but few people have used them.

The rebels and the regime blame each other for preventing people from leaving under the amnesty for neighbouring rebel-held Idlib province by targeting checkpoints with sniper and mortar fire. The UN says both sides could be guilty of war crimes for targeting civilians in shelling.

Dahiyet al-Assad - Aleppo Show all 16 1 /16 Dahiyet al-Assad - Aleppo Dahiyet al-Assad - Aleppo A girl who fled areas of conflict rides a vehicle in Dahiyet al-Assad, west Aleppo city, Syria REUTERS/Ammar Abdullah Dahiyet al-Assad - Aleppo Rebel fighters from the Jaish al-Fatah (or Army of Conquest) brigade have a tea in a building under construction Getty Dahiyet al-Assad - Aleppo A rebel fighters' armoured vehicle in Dahiyet al-Assad Reuters Dahiyet al-Assad - Aleppo Rebel fighters from the Jaish al-Fatah (or Army of Conquest) brigades sit on a tank Getty Dahiyet al-Assad - Aleppo Abandoned magazine of shells after rebel fighters took control of Dahiyet al-Assad Reuters Dahiyet al-Assad - Aleppo Rebel fighters ride a pick-up truck with civilians who fled areas of conflict in Dahiyet al-Assad, west Aleppo city, Syria Reuters Dahiyet al-Assad - Aleppo A rebel fighter gestures with a girl who fled areas of conflict while they ride a pick-up truck in Dahiyet al-Assad Reuters Dahiyet al-Assad - Aleppo Smoke rises near a damaged road in Dahiyet al-Assad, west Aleppo city, Syria Reuters Dahiyet al-Assad - Aleppo Syrians carry their belongings as they leave the southwestern frontline neighbourhood of Dahiyet al-,Assad Getty Dahiyet al-Assad - Aleppo A view shows a damaged minaret of a mosque after rebel fighters took control of Dahiyet al-Assad, Syria Reuters Dahiyet al-Assad - Aleppo Rebel groups have pledged to push from newly captured positions in the Dahiyet al-Assad district towards Hamdaniyeh. Rebels and allied jihadists launched a major offensive on October 28, 2016 to break through government lines and reach the 250,000 people living in the city's east Getty Dahiyet al-Assad - Aleppo Rebel groups have pledged to push from newly captured positions in the Dahiyet al-Assad district towards Hamdaniyeh Getty Dahiyet al-Assad - Aleppo Rebel fighters from the Jaish al-Fatah (or Army of Conquest) brigades hold a position at an entrance to Aleppo, in the southwestern frontline neighbourhood of Dahiyet al-Assad Getty Dahiyet al-Assad - Aleppo Smoke billows from the frontline district of Dahiyet al-Assad following an attack by rebels on Syrian regime forces in the northern city of Aleppo Getty Dahiyet al-Assad - Aleppo Syrians carry their belongings as they leave the southwestern frontline neighbourhood of Dahiyet al-Assad Getty Dahiyet al-Assad - Aleppo People who fled areas of conflict ride a pick-up truck in Dahiyet al-Assad, west Aleppo city, Syria Reuters

Russia says it has not bombed the city since 18 October. Rebel activists and residents on the ground report some shelling of their homes and neighbourhoods – although far fewer attacks than the unprecedented bombing campaign which began in September, killing more than 500 people and decimating civilian infrastructure, including medical facilities and the water supply.

Rebels – among them al-Qaeda affiliated al-Nusra, or Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, fighters – last week launched a fierce counterattack including explosives aimed at breaking through the regime’s siege barricades in Dahiyet al-Assad neighbourhood which has since made little headway.

The Russian Defence Ministry said on Wednesday that rebels inside east Aleppo had suffered heavy losses and were effectively trapped.

Aleppo offensive

“All attempts by the rebels to break through in Aleppo have failed,” the ministry said. “The terrorists have suffered heavy losses in lives, weapons and equipment. They have no chance to break out of the city.”

Meanwhile on Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that the prospect of further international peace talks aimed at ending the almost six-year-long conflict are delayed “indefinitely”.

Speaking from Athens, Greece, Mr Lavrov told reporters that countries which had funded and armed groups intent on toppling Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had “sabotaged” the diplomatic process.

He did not name any states, but major players in peace talks in favour of the removal of Mr Assad from power include the US, UK, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.