Truce takes hold in Syria's Sweida, after clans' 'defense' of Sunni 'cousins'
"When the government forces withdrew, the Druze took advantage of the situation to kill and abduct Bedouins from the city. They are our cousins, we came to defend them," said Hussein, an unemployed economics graduate, interviewed on Saturday in the town of Busra al-Harir, 20 kilometers west of Sweida.
Armed with rifles stolen from police stations in the chaos following the fall of Syria's dictator, Bashar al-Assad, in December 2024, the three friends fought until they ran out of ammunition. While in downtown Sweida, they said, they came under artillery fire and were targeted by Druze snipers. The tribal fighters, Mohammed said, "entered the city alone, without command. That led to many mistakes and friendly fire." He said he had helped to free three Bedouin families who had been trapped by the fighting.
'When the clan calls, you must answer'
Sitting in the health center at Busra al-Harir, on Saturday, July 19, the three friends watched, somewhat dazed, as a steady stream of wounded and dead men, all tribal fighters, were brought back from the front lines by ambulance crews. Sunni doctor Mohammed al-Hariri, who runs the center as a stabilization point, said it was "a terrible situation, but not as bad as yesterday." The ceasefire concluded between the authorities in Damascus and Druze notables in Sweida, announced at dawn after Washington negotiated a truce between Israel and Syria, was only largely respected from Sunday onward.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Euronews
4 hours ago
- Euronews
Exclusive: Who are Syria's Druze and why are they under attack?
After violent clashes between Druze and Bedouin militias erupted in Syria's southern Suwayda region last week – killing over 1,000 people and displacing almost 130,000 others – the religious group has been cast into the global spotlight. Despite the violence, one of the three Druze religious leaders, Hekmat Al-Hijri, said in an interview with Euronews that the group was formed by 'peaceful people who have never attacked anyone in the past' on three foundational tenets. 'The use of reason, non-aggression, and truthfulness" is what Druze anchor themselves with, Al-Hijri explained. Yet, throughout their 1,000-year history, the Druze have been no strangers to conflict. Religion of unity Explaining the history of one of the Middle East's most complex religious groups is no easy feat, even for the insiders. As one Druze religious leader told Euronews, 'we'd have to go back to the time of the Prophets Shuayb and Moses.' Founded in Egypt in the early 11th century as an offshoot of Ismaili Islam — itself an offshoot of Shi'a Islam — Druze doctrine was reportedly first preached in Cairo in 1017, ending in riots in the Egyptian capital. Much of the foundational ideology was based around the personality of Fatimid leader Al-Hakim, dubbed pejoratively 'The Mad Caliph' by some while revered by others as a divinely chosen supreme leader. A controversial figure accused of persecuting Sunni Muslims, as well as Christians and Jews, Al-Hakim disappeared mysteriously in 1021. What followed for the newly founded Druze minority was marked by discrimination and persecution. They were largely driven out of Egypt by Al-Hakim's successors and settled in the mountainous regions of the Sham, which encompasses modern-day Syria, Lebanon and contested parts of Israel. Much of Druze dogma remains shrouded in secrecy, but a Druze resident of Suwayda who comes from a family of sheikhs but wanted to remain anonymous for reasons of safety told Euronews that the group 'follows the religion of Tawhid (unity), which is an intellectual and spiritual faith based on the idea that a person's relationship with God is a spiritual and intellectual one, not dependent on imposed religious rituals.' In short, 'it is a voluntary, not compulsory, faith' that is not part of any other religion, including Islam. In the Druze worldview, this means the group is "capable of harmonising with various sects, religions and ethnicities.' Since 1043, the Druze religion has been closed to new converts. Today's Druze population numbers just 1 million globally, over two-thirds of whom live in Syria. Struggling for freedom Throughout their millennium-long history, the Druze have frequently formed alliances with various broader powers. During the Crusades, Druze soldiers aided the Ayyubid and later Mamluk forces by resisting Crusader advances at the Lebanese coast. They also maintained a relatively high level of autonomy during centuries of Ottoman rule, even challenging their authority in the 1600s after forming a coalition with Maronite Christians. More recently, when the region was carved up by European powers into the modern nation states whose often porous borders remain indelibly inked onto maps today, Sheikh Al-Hijri notes that the Druze "were among those who helped found the state of Lebanon.' In Syria's neighbour, they remain a powerful political force headed by a dynasty of the Jumblatt family, generations of whom have run the Druze-majority Progressive Socialist Party. In Syria, it has been a different story, one stained by 'extreme marginalisation and repugnant sectarian treatment,' contends the sheikh. Not only was the community split when Israel annexed the Druze-majority Golan Heights in the 1967 Six-Day War, but four years later, the al-Assad-led Ba'ath party came to power in what Druze leaders and activists told Euronews was the start of five decades of discrimination. 'The al-Assad regime marginalised the Druze to such an extent that it was forbidden to dig a water well or build a factory, and they were barred from attaining senior military ranks,' Al-Hijri maintains. This said, not everyone paints the relationship between the Druze and Hafez Al-Assad and his recently deposed son, Bashar, as so difficult. Some see the old regime as quashing religious tensions in a country where some 20% of the 24-million population comes from religious minorities. There were even accusations of the al-Assads — who themselves derive from another Shi'a offshoot group, the Alawites — giving preferential treatment to non-Sunni groups. As a prominent member of the Druze community in Suwayda put it to Euronews: 'Druze personalities benefited from the last regime; they made deals with it, they supported the ideas and the actions of the regime.' However, Druze artist and activist Tamara Abu Alwan is adamant that many, if not most, members of the minority were fervently against al-Assad. 'Personally, I've been involved in the revolution for 14 years. My father also lost his job because he was an opponent of the regime. We were all in opposition. We were a family that supported each other and extended help to areas outside government control — even though it put our lives at risk.' When forces under the command of Ahmed Al-Sharaa, a former Islamist militia leader whose nom-de-guerre Al-Jolani derived from the Arabic name for the Golan Heights, Abu Alwan told Euronews, 'I was so happy. I believed that the 14 years with all the martyrs who shed blood were over.' 'But then it turned out to be only the beginning of something even worse.' The plot thickens The new authorities in Damascus have largely been met with a cautious sigh of relief by the international community. Al-Sharaa has met with leaders from Western powers, including the UK, the EU and the US. Donald Trump even called the new president 'handsome'. What followed was the lifting of many crippling sanctions that were imposed on the Assad regime for crimes against the Syrian people. Today, 90% of the population still lives below the poverty line, and the economy hangs by a thread. Although many have lauded al-Sharaa for providing stability to a country ravaged by over a decade of war, Syria has endured multiple eruptions of interethnic violence, notably in early March when Alawite communities were massacred in coastal regions. While al-Sharaa at the time called for calm and promised an independent investigation into claims that government-affiliated forces initiated what one commentator called the 'orgy of violence,' many believe the president was complicit. 'They asked (the Alawites) to hand over weapons,' the Suwayda resident said during their interview. 'When the weapons were handed over, and the Syrian coastal area became isolated ... they attacked and committed terrible massacres against humanity." "The entire villages were killed and exterminated. Houses and houses were burned.' Sheikh Hikmat agreed, adding, 'They use a local group to stir up strife, and then they carry out mass killings against their opponents.' The spiritual leader contends that he foresaw the recent violence months in advance. 'They spent seven months conducting a systematic media campaign,' Sheikh Hikmat recalled, which he said fomented ethnic tensions. 'There were even weeks when Suwayda occupied more than 25% of the Arab world's news reports, at a time when there were no overt disputes or clashes, clearly pointing to a premeditated plan against the Druze.' Trust in al-Sharaa eroded? In late April, tensions spilt over into violence, leading to almost 100 deaths amongst Druze fighters. More than 30 government fighters were also killed, and the Israeli Defence Forces launched airstrikes, including near the presidential palace. This turned out to be a prelude of what was to come. On 13 July, fighting again broke out in southern Syria, with both Bedouin and Druze militias accusing the other of committing war crimes, including wholesale massacres. The international community quickly condemned the violence, with the EU saying it was 'appalled,' without apportioning blame on one side or the other. However, Syria's newfound and tentative Western supporters 'welcomed' a ceasefire announced by al-Sharaa last Thursday, in which the Syrian leader said it was his 'priority' to protect the Druze. For Tamara Abu Alwan, his words ring hollow. 'He has lost respect for the Syrian people,' she told Euronews. 'I lost loved ones and friends for the sake of nothing, for the sake of those criminals taking over a regime that they don't deserve. So, I really do not think Ahmed Sharaa will last too long.' In his address to the nation, al-Sharaa also condemned Syria's neighbours in Israel for launching airstrikes and trying to 'entangle our people in a war that serves only to fragment our homeland and sow destruction.' There was little international support for Israel's latest attacks in the heart of Damascus. Yet, stating that '99%' of the Druze population were behind him, Al-Hijri leapt to Israel's defence. "Israel tried to establish relations with the Damascus regime and was one of the countries that gave it a chance. But when the regime attacked the Druze and ignored multiple warnings, they struck Damascus," Al-Hijri said. "We welcome this action, which could help stop the savage and barbaric campaigns against us.' Privately, some Druze whom Euronews spoke to were more reticent about Israel's actions. 'I heard about these attacks in the area of Damascus,' one person said. 'At the same time, we were just trying to escape from the massacres. We were trying to get out of this country.'
Euronews
4 hours ago
- Euronews
Meta ran ads to fundraise for Israeli Defence Forces, analysis shows
Ads run on Meta to fundraise for the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) bypassed EU legislation, according to a new analysis. Global advocacy group Ekō said it identified at least 117 ads run on Meta platforms by two parallel funding groups from March 2025 to June 2025 that explicitly raised money for Israeli military units. Ekō claims both groups targeted users in the United Kingdom and the European Union, raising roughly $2.4 million (€2.05 million) for the IDF from ads on their landing pages. Euronews Next is working to independently verify this number. A previous Ekō analysis into Meta IDF fundraising found similar ads last year. The platform removed the ads when they were reported but 'did nothing to stop the same publishers from launching new campaigns for the same military equipment,' the rights group said in a statement. 'Meta's actions reveal a clear pattern: its advertising platform is not just failing to block these fundraising efforts — it is actively enabling them,' Ekō said in a statement sent to Euronews Next. What did the ads say? One of the ads run by US-registered charity Vaad Hatzedaka used the story of a rabbi to solicit donations for thermal drones that could 'detect and eliminate deadly threats from Hamas,' to keep their fighters 'one step ahead'. The donation page includes information to donate generators, underwater drones, or thermal drones to the Israeli soldiers. Another ad campaign reported by Ekō shows a repost by an Israeli singer where unit snipers in Jabalia, northern Gaza, are asking for shooting tripods. The embedded link redirects users to the Chesed Fund, a US-registered charity that lets users send bulletproof vests, thermal drones or tactical helmets to the IDF on the frontlines. Ekō said the ad was flagged to Meta, who eventually took it down. The Chelsed Fund ad violated Meta's ad policy about social issues, elections or politics, the advocacy group said. Anyone who wants to post ads in the EU about political values and government or security and foreign affairs has to go through an 'authorisation process' before being published on Meta platforms, according to the tech company's guidelines. The authorisation process requires ad posters to send in a piece of government-issued ID along with the page they run to Meta for review. The ads also have to have a 'paid by' disclaimer to show who is funding it. Anyone who violates Meta's ad policies several times by running these ads without authorisation could face 'permanent restrictions,' the company said, but it doesn't expand on what these might be. Euronews Next reached out to Meta but did not receive an immediate reply at the time of publication. How did these ads get past European laws? The European Commission's Digital Services Act (DSA) requires large online platforms with a reach of more than 45 million EU citizens a month to maintain a public ad repository and assess how their systems are manipulated or could contribute to societal risks. Meta has a monthly user base of roughly 259 million in the EU, according to Commission estimates. Platforms with these large user bases, such as Meta, have to disclose more information about ads they are seeing online, including why a user could be targeted by a specific campaign over others. Maen Hammad, a researcher at Ekō, argues that the DSA also comes with obligations for Meta to 'swiftly remove illegal content,' especially if it could break national charity laws. 'Ads fundraising for military gear, including drones allegedly used by a military under investigation for genocide to enforce a 'kill zone' in Gaza, likely break charity laws in several EU countries,' he said. Hammad said Eko will be bringing these findings to the European Commission to see whether it breaches the act. If the Commission decides to go ahead with an investigation, it could first request more information from Meta about its ad policies, conduct interviews with the company or inspect the company premises. Penalties for a DSA infringement could go up to six per cent of a company's global turnover. Euronews Next reached out to the Commission to see whether it had received the Ekō report or a request for an investigation but did not receive an immediate reply.
LeMonde
6 hours ago
- LeMonde
'The best show in town': From a hilltop in Israel, observers have a sinister view of Gaza bombings
Between two bombardments, Liram, Afik, and Emmanuel passed around a joint. On Thursday, July 17, at 6:30 pm, as on most evenings, the three friends, 27-year-old Israelis who preferred not to share their last names, met at the top of Kobi Hill, the highest point overlooking the city of Sderot on the edge of the Gaza Strip, to talk about work, travel, and "stock market investments," they listed. Right across from them, about one kilometer away, past the highway, a few fields, and a separation barrier, lay Beit Hanoun and the north of the Gaza Strip, which has been bombarded without pause for nearly two years. "When I see and hear a missile fall on Gaza, I am happy," Afik said, grinning in his shorts and brightly colored T-shirt, his pack of cigarettes and phone in front of him. On his device screen, the watch shop manager showed a photo of Avi Megira, his uncle, killed on his motorcycle in the streets of Sderot by a Hamas member during the massacres of October 7. Facing his two friends, a trader and an employee at the large printing plant in Kibbutz Be'eri, adjacent to the Gaza Strip, the young man, "frightened" by the proximity of the border with the Palestinian enclave, said he believed that freeing the last 50 Israeli hostages, of whom only about 20 are thought to be alive, could only happen through a violent military operation. Even if "millions" of Palestinians must die, he added. According to the latest figures shared by NGOs and international organizations on the ground, more than 58,000 people, the majority of them civilians, have already been killed by the Israeli army since October 7.
