Latest news with #truce
Bloomberg
12 hours ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Bessent to Attend US-China Talks in Stockholm Next Week
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he will meet his Chinese counterparts in Stockholm next week for their third round of trade talks. 'That deal expires on August 12,' Bessent said on Fox Business of the latest trade truce between the world's two largest economies. 'I'm going to be in Stockholm on Monday and Tuesday with my Chinese counterparts and we'll be working out what is likely an extension then.'
Asharq Al-Awsat
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Türkiye's Erdogan Says Syria's Sharaa Showed Strong Stance against Israel
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan praised his Syrian counterpart Ahmed al-Sharaa for showing a strong stance and not compromising in Syria's conflict with Israel, and said Sharaa took a "very positive" step by reaching an understanding with the Druze. Hundreds of Bedouin civilians were evacuated from Syria's predominantly Druze city of Sweida on Monday as part of a US-backed truce meant to end fighting that has killed hundreds of people, state media and witnesses said. In comments to Turkish media released on Monday, Erdogan said Syria's government had established some control in Sweida and the country's south with around 2,500 soldiers, with all but one Druze faction agreeing to respect the ceasefire during talks in Amman. He also told reporters on his flight returning from northern Cyprus that the United States now understood it needed to "own" the issue more, warning that the main issue was Israel using the fighting as an excuse to invade Syrian lands.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
News Analysis: Syria's sectarian clashes, Israeli airstrikes and a wary peace: What to know
More than a week of sectarian bloodshed in Syria has given way to a wary truce, pausing a fight that drew Israel into an unprecedented confrontation with Syria's new authorities while raising fresh questions on whether those leaders can steer the country past the fractures of its 14-year civil war. The fighting in Sweida, the southern province bordering Jordan and near Israel, began last week between militiamen from the Druze religious minority and Sunni Muslim tribes. It soon embroiled Syrian government forces and Israel in a chaotic battlefield that saw hundreds killed — some in sectarian-fueled revenge attacks — and more than 128,000 people displaced before a U.S.-backed ceasefire was announced Sunday. The violence underscores the challenges facing the government of President Ahmad al-Sharaa, a rebel-turned-politician whose armed faction spearheaded the ouster of Syrian dictator Bashar Assad in December. Since then, Al-Sharaa's Islamist-dominated government has struggled to win the trust of minority communities in the country and failed to persuade militias formed during the civil war to disarm or fall under Damascus' authority. Here's a breakdown of what's happening in Sweida and why many believe it could derail Syria's delicate postwar recovery. How did the clashes start? Before the fighting erupted July 13, tensions were already high after a spate of kidnappings and robberies between Druze communities in Sweida and nearby Bedouin tribes. As the unrest grew into open conflict involving Druze militias and armed Bedouins, the government dispatched its forces to stop the fighting. But some Druze leaders said the government aided the Bedouins instead; they also accused government-aligned security personnel of committing sectarian-motivated rampages, looting and executions against Druze civilians. Read more: Sectarian violence erupts again in Syria, leaving at least 160 dead Druze militias launched a counterattack and retaliated with a wave of killings and kidnappings against Bedouin fighters and civilians. Israel entered the fray with an airstrike campaign targeting Syria's security forces and tanks, as well as the army headquarters and the presidential palace in Damascus, the capital. The violence left roughly 1,260 dead, most of them Druze fighters and civilians, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group based in Britain. It also said government forces carried out summary executions. Included in the death toll are hundreds of state security personnel. Who are the Druze? The Druze, who make up roughly 3% of Syria's population, are members of a syncretic religion that emerged in the 11th century as an offshoot of Shiite Islam. There are roughly 1 million Druze worldwide, more than half of them in Syria, and most of the rest in Lebanon, Israel and the Golan Heights, which Israel has illegally occupied — according to international law — since 1967. During the civil war, the Druze were largely unwilling to ally with Assad but were wary of the opposition, which was dominated by hard-line Sunni Islamist groups, some of whom viewed Druze as infidels. The Druze formed militias for protection. Read more: 'From dictatorship to occupation': Syrian civilians caught in Israeli advance When Assad fell, many Druze celebrated. But some spiritual and militia leaders — like other minority communities across the country — remained suspicious of Al-Sharaa and his Islamist past, which once included affiliation with the terrorist network Al Qaeda. They resisted his calls to disarm and insisted they would cede power only to a representative government. Waves of sectarian attacks have only reinforced their suspicions of Al-Sharaa: In March, government-linked factions massacred about 1,500 people, mostly from the Alawite sect, and in May, clashes in Druze-majority areas near the capital left 39 people dead. How did Israel get involved? Israel has entrenched itself in the neighboring country since Assad's fall, with warplanes launching a wide-scale attack to destroy the Syrian army's arsenal even as Israeli tanks and troops blitzed into Syria and commandeered villages near the border. Since then, it has consolidated its presence and operated ever deeper in Syrian territory, justifying the moves as necessary for its security and to stop armed groups, government-aligned or otherwise, from launching attacks on Israel from Syrian territory. Israel has also imposed what is in effect a demilitarized zone over southern Syria, including Sweida, preventing the Syrian army from establishing its authority over the region. Read more: Israel bombs Damascus military HQ as sectarian strife rages in Syria Critics say Israel is engaging in a land grab aimed at keeping Syria a weak and fragmented neighbor. Another reason for Israel's intervention is its own Druze population, a vocal minority of about 145,000 people, some of whom serve in the Israeli military. Over the last few months, Israeli troops have offered assistance to Syrian Druze communities. And when the Sweida fighting began, Israeli Druze citizens demonstrated near the border, calling on the Israeli military to protect their fellow Druze in Syria. Despite those overtures, many Syrian Druze fear Israel's growing presence in their areas and have sought a diplomatic resolution to their differences with the Syrian government. Others, such as Hikmat al-Hijri, an influential Druze spiritual leader opposed to Al-Sharaa, have repeatedly called for foreign protection. What is happening with the ceasefire? Hours after the ceasefire took effect late Sunday, the Syrian government evacuated about 1,500 Bedouin family members trapped in Sweida city. Druze civilians were to be evacuated at a later time. Other phases of the truce will see the release of detained Bedouin fighters and the bodies of Bedouins killed in the fighting. Is the U.S. playing a role? The U.S. was involved in brokering the ceasefire. More generally, Trump administration officials have thrown their support behind Al-Sharaa, lifting years-old sanctions that had all but choked the country's economy and shepherding diplomatic contacts with Israel. Speaking to reporters Monday in Beirut, the Lebanese capital, U.S. envoy to Syria Tom Barrack said Syrian authorities needed to be held accountable for violations but 'they also need to be given the responsibility that' is theirs. Read more: U.S. envoy doubles down on support for Syria's government and criticizes Israel's intervention Earlier, in an interview with the Associated Press, he deplored the killings but said the Syrian government was acting 'as best [it] can as a nascent government with very few resources to address the multiplicity of issues that arise in trying to bring a diverse society together.' He also suggested Israel wasn't interested in seeing a strong Syria. 'Strong nation-states are a threat. Especially, Arab states are viewed as a threat to Israel,' he said. But in Syria, he said, 'I think all of the the minority communities are smart enough to say, 'We're better off together, centralized.'' Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
CNA
a day ago
- Politics
- CNA
Bedouin civilians evacuated from Syria's Sweida as US-backed truce holds
DAMASCUS: Hundreds of Bedouin civilians were evacuated from the southern Syrian city of Sweida on Monday (July 21) under a fragile truce backed by the United States, following a week of deadly clashes between Druze fighters and Sunni Bedouin residents. Interior ministry forces deployed to the city's outskirts after the ceasefire took effect on Sunday. Interior Minister Anas Khattab said the truce aimed to enable the release of hostages and detainees. The clashes, which began last week, left hundreds dead and prompted Israeli airstrikes in southern Syria. The violence has presented a major test for interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, deepening fractures in a country already devastated by 14 years of war. The fighting erupted between Druze groups hostile to the Islamist-led government and Sunni Bedouin tribes. Government troops were sent to intervene but were later accused of abuses against the Druze population. Sharaa blamed the unrest on 'outlaw groups' and pledged to protect the Druze community, calling them an integral part of the Syrian nation. He promised to hold those responsible for violations to account. Witnesses told Reuters of killings in the town of Shahba, 15km north of Sweida. Ali al-Huraym, a 56-year-old Bedouin, said six relatives were killed despite Druze elders' assurances of safety. Another displaced man, Salem al-Mahdi, said he saw multiple bodies in one home and reported the use of mortars. Druze activist Luna Albassit said the situation remained tense despite the halt in clashes. 'People were killed in the streets, in their homes… in the name of the state,' she told Reuters by phone. Suwayda 24 footage showed body bags lined outside a local hospital. The Syrian Network for Human Rights said at least 558 people were killed in Sweida since July 13, while the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights put the toll at over 1,000. MASS EVACUATIONS UNDERWAY On Monday, convoys of ambulances and buses began transporting civilians out of Sweida. Around 300 Bedouins were evacuated, with another 550 expected to leave in the next 24 hours, a Syrian security official told Reuters. A total of 1,500 Bedouins will be evacuated under the plan, Syrian state media said. The next phase will involve the return of bodies and the release of captured Bedouin fighters. The United Nations said at least 93,000 people have been displaced by the violence. Humanitarian convoys carrying medical aid were still awaiting entry to Sweida, the UN said, though the Syrian Arab Red Crescent had been granted limited access. ISRAELI STRIKES, US RESPONSE Israel launched airstrikes last week, hitting government positions in southern Syria and targeting the defence ministry in Damascus. It said the goal was to protect Druze communities and keep the south demilitarised. The United States, which has supported Damascus since Sharaa met President Donald Trump in May, said it did not authorise Israel's strikes. 'The Syrian government needs to be held accountable,' US envoy Tom Barrack said during a visit to Beirut. 'They also need to be given the responsibility that they're there to do.'
Reuters
a day ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Bedouin civilians leave Syria's Sweida as tense truce holds
DAMASCUS, July 21 (Reuters) - Hundreds of Bedouin civilians were evacuated from Syria's predominantly Druze city of Sweida on Monday as part of a U.S.-backed truce meant to end days of bloodshed in southern Syria, state media and witnesses said. With hundreds reported killed, the violence in the southern province of Sweida has posed a major test for interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, drawing Israeli airstrikes last week and deepening fissures in a country fractured by 14 years of war. A ceasefire took hold on Sunday as interior ministry security forces deployed on Sweida's outskirts. Interior Minister Anas Khattab said on Sunday the truce would allow for the release of hostages and detainees held by the sides. The fighting began a week ago, pitting Druze fighters who distrust the Islamist-led government against Sunni Muslim Bedouin. Damascus sent troops to quell the fighting, but they were drawn into the violence and accused of widespread violations against Druze. Sharaa has blamed the violence on "outlaw groups" and promised to protect the rights of Druze - a minority group whose faith is deemed heretical by some hardline Muslims. Calling the Druze a fundamental part of Syria's national fabric, Sharaa has vowed to hold to account those who committed violations against them. Details of last week's violence are still emerging. Ali al-Huraym, a 56-year-old Bedouin man, said six members of his extended family had been killed by Druze fighters in an attack on the town of Shahba, 15 km (10 miles) north of Sweida, on Thursday. Speaking to Reuters at a school sheltering displaced Bedouin in Daraa province, he said Druze elders had assured them they would be safe in Shahba, but the attacking Druze faction had ignored their instructions. He accused the Druze faction of trying to drive Sunni tribes from the area, without identifying it. Salem al-Mahdi, 60, another Bedouin displaced from Shahba with his family, told Reuters he saw six bodies in one home there, and the town had been hit with weapons including mortars. Speaking to Reuters by phone, Luna Albassit, a Druze activist in Shahba, said the situation after so much bloodshed remained tense despite the end to clashes. "People were killed in the streets, in their homes, they were humiliated and it was in the name of the state," she said, referring to attacks by government-aligned forces. Reuters could not independently verify the accounts. In Sweida, footage released by local news outlet Suwayda 24 on Sunday showed what appeared to be numerous body bags in the grounds outside the hospital. The Syrian Network for Human Rights said at least 558 people had been killed in violence in Sweida province since July 13. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has reported more than 1,000 killed. On Monday morning, ambulances, trucks and buses ferried hundreds of Bedouin civilians including women, children and wounded people out of Sweida to nearby displacement camps, Reuters footage showed. The initial batch included some 300 Bedouins, and a second group of about 550 civilians will be evacuated within the next 24 hours if the situation remains calm, said Shoaib Asfour, a member of the Syrian security forces overseeing the evacuation. The next phase would see the evacuation of Bedouin fighters detained by Druze militias and the transfer of bodies of Bedouins killed in the fighting, Asfour said. Syria's state news agency said a total of 1,500 Bedouins would be evacuated from Sweida city. Citing Ahmed al-Dalati, head of Syria's internal security forces in Sweida, state media said those forces would also facilitate the return to Sweida of others displaced from it. According to the United Nations, at least 93,000 people have been uprooted by the fighting. The U.N. said on Sunday that humanitarian convoys with medical supplies had been waiting to enter Sweida for two days but were not granted access. It said only a convoy of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent had been allowed to enter. Citing the goal of protecting the Druze and keeping southern Syria demilitarized, Israel attacked government forces last week in the south and struck the defence ministry in Damascus. Washington, which has expressed support for Damascus since Sharaa met U.S. President Donald Trump in May, said it did not approve of Israel's strikes. U.S. envoy Tom Barrack said on Monday the Syrian government needed to be held accountable. "They also need to be given the responsibility that they're there to do," he said, speaking on a visit to Beirut.
