US EditionSyrian government and leaders of the Druze minority announce new ceasefire
SWEIDA, SYRIA, JUL 16 – A ceasefire halts deadly clashes between Druze fighters and Sunni Bedouin tribes in Sweida after 300+ deaths, amid Israeli airstrikes targeting Syrian government forces, officials said.
- Syrian government representatives and Druze community leaders declared a new truce on Wednesday aimed at ending deadly violence in the Sweida region of southern Syria.
- The ceasefire follows days of violent clashes involving Druze and Sunni militias that erupted after incidents like a Druze youth being attacked and kidnappings of Bedouins.
- The agreement calls for state forces to withdraw, local checkpoints to be established, and an investigative committee to examine the violence, amid rare Israeli airstrikes targeting Syrian military sites.
- Israel’s defense leadership stated that military operations will persist until regime forces retreat, emphasizing the mission’s goal to protect Druze civilians and uphold the demilitarized status of the border region.
- Observers remain uncertain if the ceasefire will hold given ongoing tensions, deep sectarian divides, and past ceasefire collapses amid more than 1,300 deaths in sectarian violence in Syria.
142 Articles
142 Articles
Syria government and Druze minority leaders announce new ceasefire as Israel continues strikes
Syrian authorities have announced a new ceasefire agreement for the southern province of Sweida following days of fighting, but it remains uncertain whether peace will prevail after a local leader of the Druze minority rejected the deal. It comes after the collapse of a short-lived truce just a day earlier to bring an end to violent sectarian clashes that are said to have claimed more than 300 lives and prompted Israel to attack targets across S…
Is there a new ceasefire between Druze, Bedouin and the state forces in Syria? The situation remains tense.
Israel bombs Syria army headquarters
Israel bombed the Syrian army's headquarters in Damascus on Wednesday after warning the Islamist-led government to leave the country's Druze minority alone, as authorities announced a ceasefire in the community's southern heartland after deadly sectarian clashes. Syrian government forces entered the majority-Druze city of Sweida on Tuesday with the stated aim of overseeing a ceasefire agreed with Druze community leaders following days of fightin…
Amid Israeli Strikes, Helsinki Commission Fears for Religious Minorities in Syria
WASHINGTON—Commissioners and former staff with a key human rights panel are voicing concern over religious freedom in the new Syrian regime, now facing attack from Israel in the name of a religious minority. Israel, which backed the ouster of former Syrian President Bashar Assad, launched heavy airstrikes on July 16 that hit Syria’s capital, Damascus, citing persecution of the Druze. The move comes after conflict between Sunni tribes and the Dru…
Syria, Druze Leaders Try Again for Ceasefire
Syrian government officials and leaders in the Druze religious minority announced a renewed ceasefire Wednesday—after days of clashes that have threatened to unravel the country's postwar political transition and drawn military intervention by powerful neighbor Israel. It was not immediately clear if the agreement, announced by Syria's Interior Ministry...
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