Sources are reporting that both sides of the heated civil war in Syria have agreed to a short ceasefire so that all may enjoy watching a small kitten try and get out of a cardboard box.
The kitten, nicknamed ‘فقاعات’ (translation: ‘Bubbles’) was first noticed by Syrian rebel Kinan Aflek who quickly alerted others to the priceless moment.
“I was on my way to our hideout when I first noticed the little guy jump from atop of a garbage can lid into the box. You should have seen it, I couldn’t believe how far he jumped!”
Aflek confirmed that after the kitten landed in the box, he proceeded to peek his head out the top and scratch at the sides in an effort to climb out. Soon enough, a crowd of hundreds surrounded the box to watch the little guy give it his all.
Muhammed Azmeh, a high-ranking general in the Syrian Army, went to investigate the gathering and upon seeing the scene took out his phone and broadcasted a video of the kitten to government officials. Officials then put the live feed up on the government’s national television station, and shortly after leaders from both sides of the conflict agreed a ceasefire was in order to prevent any distractions from watching the kitten’s struggle.
“Oh, I think he’s going to make it this time…no! Aw, so close!” noted Sanharib Youssef, a spokesperson for the Ba’ath Party leadership.
The event has led to the first halt in fighting for the entire duration of the civil war, which began back in March 2011. The only exception occurred when a local store manager attempted to take the cat out of the box himself, and was shoved off to the side by a rebel who urged him not to ‘ruin the moment’.
Even incumbent President Bashar al-Assad, a controversial figure to say the least, has taken part in expressing his joy at the occasion. He provided the following comment after Bubbles meowed twice and batted at his own tail:
“You know, moments like this warm my heart and make me appreciate the little joys that life has to offer. What a cute little guy… what were even fighting about anyway?”
At press time, sources confirmed that Bubbles was finally able to knock over the box and escape into a nearby alley. Following this, both sides promptly remembered what they were fighting about and proceeded to continue massacring each other.
Note: This article is satirical and is not based on factual reporting.