logo
Syria, Druze leaderships react to Suwayda ceasefire

Syria, Druze leaderships react to Suwayda ceasefire

Shafaq News7 days ago
Shafaq News – Damascus
On Saturday, Syrian transitional President Ahmad al-Sharaa and the Druze spiritual leadership backed a ceasefire in Suwayda, following a week of clashes that killed hundreds.
In a televised address, al-Sharaa described the escalation as a 'dangerous turning point,' warning that the situation had nearly spiraled out of control. 'The Suwayda events revealed dangerous separatist ambitions,' he said. 'We disown the massacres… Syria is not a testing ground for partition or sectarian projects.'
'Suwayda remains an inseparable part of Syria,' he added, calling the Druze a 'cornerstone of the country's social fabric.'
He also blamed Israeli airstrikes and retaliatory attacks by armed factions as catalysts, and credited international mediation with helping to de-escalate the crisis.
Separately, the Druze leadership, headed by Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, confirmed the truce in a statement following talks mediated by international guarantors, stressing that any party that violates the agreement would bear 'full responsibility' for the collapse of the understandings.
The leadership also called on the youth of Suwayda to act responsibly and work in coordination to end the "ordeal that has affected our peaceful communities."
The agreement includes several key provisions: deployment of security forces outside Suwayda's administrative boundaries, a 48-hour freeze on factional movement, and safe passage for remaining Bedouin civilians.
Enforcement began Saturday morning, with Syrian public security forces entering Suwayda, according to the Interior Ministry. The Presidency also urged all parties to uphold the ceasefire and 'support efforts to stabilize the region.'
Clashes between Druze armed factions and Bedouin tribes had rapidly intensified after initial truce efforts failed, resulting in at least 718 deaths, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
#SOHR https://t.co/AxTHeZHhR0
— المرصد السوري لحقوق الإنسان (@syriahr) July 18, 2025
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Iran's Khamenei urges more military, scientific progress
Iran's Khamenei urges more military, scientific progress

Shafaq News

time3 hours ago

  • Shafaq News

Iran's Khamenei urges more military, scientific progress

Shafaq News – Tehran On Friday, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatullah Ali Khamenei vowed that the country's adversaries have failed to achieve their objectives in the recent confrontation, describing their actions as "striking in the air." In a written message marking 40 days since the deaths of what he referred to as 'a group of our dear compatriots' and the onset of the latest Iranian-Israeli conflict, Khamenei asserted that both Iran's military and scientific efforts will now advance with even greater momentum. 'All military commanders must continuously equip our country with the means to safeguard security and independence,' he stated, while also calling for the preservation of national unity as 'a responsibility for each one of us.' The last conflicterupted after a wave of Israeli strikes on Tehran, triggering nearly two weeks of sustained drone and missile exchanges before a ceasefire was reached in mid-June.

Protest in Qamishli for Suwayda victims
Protest in Qamishli for Suwayda victims

Shafaq News

time4 hours ago

  • Shafaq News

Protest in Qamishli for Suwayda victims

Shafaq News – Qamishli Civil society activists and residents in Qamishli, northeastern Syria, staged a protest on Friday expressing solidarity with victims of the recent wave of violence in the southern province of Suwayda. Condemning reported human rights violations during the latest clashes, the Protesters held placards demanding justice and accountability, with slogans such as 'Justice for victims of violations in Suwayda – No to impunity' and 'We want a homeland to live in, not to die in.' Some banners also urged international organizations and media to gain access to Suwayda to monitor conditions on the ground. Legal expert Zaki Haji, one of the demonstrators, said the targeting of the Druze community in Suwayda follows a familiar pattern seen previously in Syria's coastal regions. He accused the transitional government of adopting policies that deepen division and warned of similar threats in northeastern Syria, particularly against Kurds. Ruba Al-Fleihat, a Druze activist from Suwayda now based in Qamishli, said many of her relatives and neighbors were among the dead, including children, women, and the elderly. She added that at least 80 women remain missing without any information on their whereabouts. Another Suwayda native, Diaa al-Abdullah, called for safe corridors to be opened and for international investigative committees to be formed, emphasizing that services in Suwayda have collapsed and that urgent aid is needed for civilians, especially children and medical facilities.

Basra rally denounces Khor Abdullah agreement as betrayal
Basra rally denounces Khor Abdullah agreement as betrayal

Shafaq News

time5 hours ago

  • Shafaq News

Basra rally denounces Khor Abdullah agreement as betrayal

Shafaq News – Basra On Friday, hundreds of Iraqis protested outside the Kuwaiti consulate in Basra province to reject the Khor Abdullah maritime agreement, denouncing what they called a 'surrender of maritime sovereignty.' Ali al-Abbadi, a representative of the demonstrators, told Shafaq News Agency that the issue of the Khor Abdullah agreement and its implications for Iraq's maritime boundaries remains a point of contention between the government and the people. 'While the Iraqi public sees the deal as humiliating and a violation of the country's territory and waters, the government views it as an unavoidable reality due to UN Security Council Resolution 833 of 1993.' Al-Abbadi added that the Federal Supreme Court had settled the dispute in September 2023 by declaring the 2013 law ratifying the agreement unconstitutional. However, he noted that public outrage followed a statement by Faiq Zidan, head of Iraq's Supreme Judicial Council, who—after a visit to Kuwait—claimed the court had rejected the same challenge it had previously upheld, arguing it lacked constitutional or legal grounds. Earlier, a majority of Iraqi lawmakers voiced support for the Federal Supreme Court's decision to void the agreement. MP Amer Abdul-Jabbar told Shafaq News that 194 out of 329 parliamentarians had signed a petition addressed to the head of the court, endorsing the September 2023 ruling.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store