Dozens killed in clashes between Druze and Bedouin in southern Syria
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) wrote on Telegram that the tanks potentially posed a threat to Israel and that it would continue to monitor the situation in southern Syria.
Israel's Channel 14 reported the attack came after "suspicious movements" that suggested the tanks were heading toward a Druze-populated area.
The prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, has previously vowed to protect the Druze religious minority during outbreaks of sectarian violence in Syria.
Sunday's clashes between Bedouin tribesmen and Druze militias began in the al-Maqwas neighbourhood of Suweida city.
The area, which is inhabited by Bedouin, was reportedly encircled and later seized by armed Druze fighters.
The fighting soon spread into other parts of Suweida province, with tribesmen reportedly launching attacks on Druze towns and villages on the city's western and northern outskirts.
SOHR said the towns of Sumay and Mazraah were shelled, and that residents of the village of Tayrah fled after armed men entered the outskirts and set fire to several homes.
On Monday, Suwayda 24 reported that another bout of fighting erupted in the western countryside of Suweida after drones attacked villages at the same time as government forces deployed in nearby areas of eastern Deraa province.
The violence broke a brief period of calm following a mediation between Bedouin and Druze leaders that reportedly took place on Sunday night. According to Suwayda 24, this resulted in the release of people kidnapped by both sides during Sunday's clashes.
Shortly after the fighting began, Syria's interior ministry said: "This dangerous escalation comes in light of the absence of relevant official institutions, leading to worsening chaos, a collapse of the security situation, and the local community's inability to contain the crisis despite repeated calls for calm."
It added that interior ministry forces, in co-ordination with the defence ministry, would "begin direct intervention in the area to end the conflict and impose order".
The governor of Suweida, Mustapha al-Bakur, called on his constituents to "exercise self-restraint and respond to national calls for reform".
Several Syrian Druze spiritual leaders also appealed for calm.
At the start of May, more than 130 people were reportedly killed in clashes between Druze gunmen, security forces and allied Sunni Islamist fighters in two suburbs of the capital Damascus and Suweida province.
In the wake of that fighting, the government reached an agreement with Druze militias to hire local security forces in Suweida province from their ranks.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
9 minutes ago
- Telegraph
British spy planes are helping Israel find hostages in Gaza
British military aircraft are flying over Gaza to help Israel find missing hostages, even as the UK condemns Israel's actions in the war-torn enclave. Intelligence gathered by RAF planes flying over Gaza is 'routinely' shared with the Israelis, who use the information to track captured hostages, the Ministry of Defence told The Telegraph. Hundreds of missions have been flown by Shadow R1 surveillance aircraft over Gaza since the war broke out in October 2023, including last month. It comes as Benjamin Netanyahu considers plans to fully occupy the Palestinian territory. 'The die has been cast. We're going for the full conquest of the Gaza Strip – and defeating Hamas,' a senior Israeli official was quoted by the Hebrew media as saying. Around 20 of the remaining 50 hostages in Gaza are thought to still be alive. The families of the hostages fear plans to take over the Strip could endanger their loved ones. Israel's allies are also thought to be opposed to Mr Netanyahu's plans, and pressure is growing on the Jewish state to wind down its military campaign and alleviate the ongoing humanitarian crisis. The continuation of British military support above Gaza comes as Israel-UK relations plummet to an all-time low. The Government has sanctioned a number of hard-Right Israeli ministers and threatened to recognise a Palestinian state at the UN in September unless conditions in the enclave improve. David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, said he was 'sickened' by reports of Israeli troops firing at Palestinians at aid distribution centres. Britain has supported Israel's military operations in Gaza by flying above the enclave to help find hostages since October 2023, when Hamas killed 1,200 Israelis in a terror attack. RAF aircraft have flown nearly daily missions, gathering intelligence the MoD says is used solely to locate hostages. The RAF's Shadow R1 plane is equipped with electronic sensors that are able to gather data on the ground in Gaza. It is used to identify vehicle convoys, residential buildings and zoom in on individual movement in the Gaza Strip. An RAF source told The Times that the Shadow R1 aircraft had returned to Britain. It is unclear which planes have taken over intelligence gathering. A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence said: 'Since early December 2023, the RAF has routinely conducted unarmed surveillance flights over Gaza for the sole purpose of locating hostages. 'The UK controls what information is passed to Israeli authorities and only information relating to hostage rescue will be passed to the relevant authority. 'We do not comment on operational detail for security reasons.'
Daily Mail
9 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
'The world should see my son's sadistic torture': Mother of Israeli hostage delivers searing message to Hamas apologists in first interview since shocking video was released
Since the horrifying footage of her emaciated son being forced to dig his own grave in the terror tunnels of Gaza went around the world, Galia David has barely left her home. She had already endured nearly two years of unimaginable torment after Evyatar was kidnapped from the Nova festival in southern Israel with his best friend, Guy Gilboa-Dalal. Both 24-year-olds spent their first weeks of captivity bound hand and foot with bags over their heads, blood dripping from their wounded limbs. The last sign of life had come in February, when Hamas cruelly filmed them watching other hostages released, and then returned them to the tunnels. But Friday's video was of a different order of depravity. 'He looked like a skeleton,' dance instructor Galia tells the Daily Mail of that haunting image. 'It is sadistic torture.' Today she bravely speaks out for the first time, supported by Guy's parents, whose son is believed to be in the same state of starvation, to remind the international community 'who here is cruel'. Galia said: 'We very much hope this video has shaken people enough.' When such videos emerge from Hamas, the mainstream media wait for families to give the green light before airing them. Galia explained: 'That is why we ultimately decided to allow the release of the video – so that the world will truly understand how the hostages are suffering, who here is cruel, who is abusing not only our children but also the population in Gaza. 'I want everyone in the world to see this image, to know what Hamas terrorists are doing.' While Galia said she cannot 'waste energy on anger, blame, or accusations', Guy's father, Ilan Dalal, was more direct. Visibly still furious at Britain's decision to follow France in pushing for Palestinian statehood – a move Hamas celebrated as 'the fruits of October 7' and saw them harden their negotiation stance – he addressed Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron directly. 'Because of you there wasn't an agreement to bring our children home, and you caused the war in Gaza to continue,' he told the leaders. 'The suffering of the Gazans is on your hands. It's on you. The same goes for the suffering of the hostages.' It came as Tory leader Kemi Badenoch yesterday said Sir Keir 'has made a mistake' with the plan. Referencing the image of Evyatar, Ms Badenoch said: 'This is what Hamas is about. 'Now is not the time to reward them for their atrocities and for the massacre they committed on October 7 by giving them statehood recognition.' Of her son's desperate condition, Galia said: 'I don't think I have to tell you how urgent it is to get them out. 'Medical professionals told us that he can live for only another few days. Guy is in the exact same condition.' Visibly heartbroken, the mother of three said she feels a 'terrible frustration' as Evyatar and Guy have been held underground for so long they 'haven't a clue' what efforts their families are making to save them. Both have been in tunnels since June last year – aside from when they were taken above ground to torment them for the cruel video last February. 'I want anyone who is human to understand this,' Galia added. 'I want each person to stop and think for a moment: What if this were your son or brother? 'What would you do? Would you just sit silently? No. You would turn the world upside down.' Galia was at home in Kfar Saba when friends started messaging about a video of her son posted on Telegram by the terrorists on Friday last week. Talking to the Daily Mail in Guy's home, she stroked the hand of his mother, Meirav, as she revealed the two women made a pact at that moment. 'We spoke about it and decided we didn't intend to watch it,' she said. The mothers share a special bond and see each other as family as their sons are 'soul brothers' who have been inseparable since they met as toddlers. Both grew up going on camping trips together and love music – which is what saw them go to Nova when they were kidnapped on October 7, 2023. Horrifying footage from that day shows the young men pinned to the floor, their eyes bulging in terror. 'Meirav and I are just holding on to each other, trying to muster whatever strength we still have because Evyatar and Guy are our children,' Galia said. While the fact their sons are together has given some comfort, they also know that 'when one of them is tortured and abused, the other feels it as if it was his own flesh, exactly the same'. Despite their intentions, it has been impossible not to catch glimpses of the clip and – while the world has focused on Evyatar – both mothers believe you can spot Guy at one point. Former hostage Tal Shoham, who was held with them, told the women their sons are still in the same tunnel they were held in when he was freed in February. 'There's nowhere else to take him, nowhere to move him to, so they hid him there [while they filmed the footage],' Meirav said of her son. She also highlighted how the hand of the Hamas guard in the video is quite clearly well-nourished – in stark contrast to the hostages. 'The hand that reached out to give Evyatar food was a fat hand – a full hand,' she said. 'And I know that Evyatar no longer has hands. Only bones. 'This is one of the things I don't understand – why is the world not waking up because of it?' Just yesterday, the Daily Mail revealed UN statistics that show 86 per cent of aid for Gaza is stolen by Hamas and other armed militants. Describing what Guy and Evyatar are enduring as 'a Holocaust', she adds: 'I am sick of this hypocrisy of the world. People are simply bleeding hearts, and they don't grasp what's happening. And my son and Evyatar are rotting in the tunnels, with other hostages, which is insane.' For both mothers, they want just one thing. 'I want to hug my child,' said Galia. 'I want to reach that moment when Guy and Evyatar are brought back to us and we can tell them, 'You are safe, we are here for you.' 'From now on, this journey only goes in the direction of good.'
The Sun
9 minutes ago
- The Sun
Bob Vylan Glastonbury set sparks antisemitism surge as hate incidents hit six-month high the following day
ANTISEMITIC incidents hit a six-month high a day after punk duo Bob Vylan's controversial Glastonbury gig. A total of 26 were reported after rapper Bobby Vylan chanted ' Death, death to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces)' during the set. 2 2 The Community Security Trust, which monitors antisemitism in Britain, described the responses to events at the festival as 'absolutely chilling'. Police say inquiries are continuing in relation to the comments at the gig, which the BBC chose to livestream. The CST said the next worst day so far this year was May 17 — a day after Israel said it was expanding military operations in Gaza — when 19 incidents were recorded. A spokesman said: 'Both of these cases illustrate how sentiment and rhetoric towards Israel and Zionism influence, shape and drive contemporary anti-Jewish discourse, online and offline, often around totemic events that grab mainstream public attention.' Over the six months, there were 76 violent anti-Jewish assaults, three rated as 'extreme', the charity said. There were 84 incidents of damage and desecration of Jewish property, 21 of mass-produced antisemitic literature and 1,236 of verbal or written abuse. The six-month January to June total was 1,521, down on the 2,019 in the same period for 2024. CST chief executive Mark Gardner said the figures demonstrate 'extreme levels of Jew-hatred, committed in the name of anti-Israel activism'. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper called the numbers 'shamefully and persistently high'. She said antisemitism 'has a profoundly damaging impact on the individuals affected and the wider Jewish community' and said the Government was determined to 'root out the poison'.
