Israel, Syria agree to ceasefire as Druze minority and Bedouin clans clash in Syria
Israel launched airstrikes in Damascus and hit government forces in southern Syria on Wednesday, while demanding the forces withdraw from the region and set a goal to protect Syrian Druze, an influential minority in Syria that has its members in Lebanon and Israel.
The announcement of truce between Israel and Syria by the US Ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barrack, came as renewed clashes continued between Druze groups and Bedouin clans in Syria's southern Sweida province, which has killed more than 300 people and left thousands of people displaced in the region, triggering a humanitarian crisis.
BREAKTHROUGH —— Israeli Prime Minister @Netanyahu and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa @SyPresidency supported by the U.S.A. @SecRubio have agreed to a ceasefire embraced by Türkiye, Jordan and its neighbors. We call upon Druze, Bedouins, and Sunnis to put down their weapons and…
— Ambassador Tom Barrack (@USAMBTurkiye) July 18, 2025
Announcing the ceasefire, Barrack in a post on X said, 'We call upon Druze, Bedouins, and Sunnis to put down their weapons and together with other minorities build a new and united Syrian identity in peace and prosperity with its neighbors.'
Barrack, who also serves as the US special envoy to Syria, informed that the ceasefire deal between Israel and Syria was supported by Turkey, Jordan and other neighboring countries. However, the Israeli embassy in Washington and Syrian consulate in Canada have not issued any statement regarding the truce.
Triggering conflict between Bedouin fighters and Druze factions, Syria's Sweida province has been engulfed in violence for over a week. Israeli officials on Friday said Tel Aviv agreed to allow Syrian forces limited access to the Sweida area of southern Syria for the next two days, Reuters reported.
The Syrian presidential office on Friday said that forces would be deployed in the south to end the hostilities, in coordination with political and security measures to restore stability and prevent the return of violence.
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