I suspect they just do whatever they can to try and survive. I'm sorry I should have elaborated more on the situation. There are many violent Islamic groups in Syria which call themselves "rebels", they are mainy linked to Al-Quaeda. They have committed numerous atrocities against Syrian civilians and driven a lot of people out of their homes. In fact committing ethnic cleansing.

The US has claimed that there are also "moderate" rebels in Syria, and it's these rebels that USA is backing up and supplying with weapons. It's wrong to attack these "moderate rebels, because they're part of a grassroots movement against the evil dictator Assad.

Several months ago, Russia asked the US (since they claim to know the "rebel" situation better), to help separate the moderate rebels form the extremists. The same message was communicated directly to the "rebels" themselves. Nothing has happened since then, to even remotely suggest that some of these groups are not extremists and wish to separate themselves from the extremists. In fact, the various "rebel" groups have become more united since then.

Which brings up the legitimate question, are there ANY rebels in Syria that are not radical Islamists working for Al-Quaeda.

It they exist, then they are doing their worst to try and survive. It's in their interests to come out and declare that they're not affiliated with Al-Quaeda, then at least they will not be targeted by the RAF.

Russia is bombing the shit out of all the schools and hospitals,

That's the way this is presented by the media, but the situation looks very strange when examined more closely. For example, in Aleppo, there were two lengthy ceasefires during which the civilians remaining in Aleppo were urged by the government to leave the city. Several evacuation corridors were open. Almost nobody showed up. This means one of three things, either the remaining civilians are clinically insane (so no hospital will help), or they are not from Aleppo and are just relatives of the jihaids, or the so-called "rebels" are preventing the civilians from leaving the city. I think №3 is the most likely case.

Would you send your child to study in a school, in Stalingrad during the Stalingrad battle, of there was an option to leave the city?

BTW, I'm no fan of Putin, and I get my information from various sources.