Clashes in Syria: Who are the Druze and why does Israel defend them?
The clashes, involving Druze militia groups, whose faith stems from a branch of Shia Islam, and Sunni tribes, began after a vegetable merchant was kidnapped in the governorate of Sweida, where Syrian government forces intervened to restore order.
The Syrian army was accused of having committed abuses, and, under military pressure from Israel, which has claimed to want to ensure the protection of the Druze, it withdrew on July 16, leaving the local militia groups the responsibility for maintaining order.
On Friday, July 18, the United States special envoy for Syria, Tom Barrack, announced that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa had agreed to a ceasefire, two days after Israeli airstrikes on Damascus. On Saturday, al-Sharaa's government and Druze notables in Sweida announced that they had concluded a ceasefire agreement, which was only truly respected from Sunday onward.
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