Syrian government forces withdraw from Suwayda amid Israeli airstrikes

Following Israeli airstrikes on Damascus, Syrian government forces have begun to withdraw from Suwayda.

The Syrian government announced that it has started to withdraw army units from the city of Suwayda and has agreed to completely halt its military operations there. However, some Druze leaders have opposed this agreement, while Israel has stated it will continue to “protect the Druze.”

The announcement came after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the parties involved in the sectarian clashes in Suwayda, ongoing since the weekend, had “agreed on concrete steps” for a ceasefire.

In a statement on Wednesday, Rubio said, “The parties in Suwayda have agreed on concrete steps that will end this terrible and disturbing situation tonight. All parties must fulfill the commitments they have made, and we expect them to do so.”

Rubio had previously claimed that the clashes between the Israeli and Syrian governments stemmed from a “misunderstanding.”

According to the new ceasefire agreement published by the Syrian Ministry of Interior, “all military operations will be immediately and completely halted,” and a committee composed of government officials and Druze religious leaders will oversee the implementation of the agreement.

The Syrian Ministry of Defense reported that it “has begun to withdraw from the city of Suwayda to implement the terms of the agreement, following the end of the sweeping operation against illegal groups in the city.”

The statement did not include any information about the withdrawal of other security forces stationed in the city.

He appeared before the cameras for the first time

Syria’s interim President, Ahmed al-Shara, appeared before the cameras for the first time since the Israeli attacks, stating that security responsibility in Suwayda would be transferred to religious leaders and some local groups in line with “supreme national interests.”

Al-Shara said, “The perpetrators of violations and attacks against our Druze people will be brought to justice. The Druze are under the protection and responsibility of the state.”

Before the government intervention, Druze areas were largely controlled by the community’s own fighters. Addressing the Druze people, al-Shara stated, “You are a fundamental part of this nation… Protecting your rights and freedom is one of our priorities.”

Al-Shara said that diplomatic initiatives by the US, Arab countries, and Türkiye prevented the conflict from escalating: “Without American, Arab, and Turkish mediation, the region could have been dragged into an unknown disaster.” It was not specified which Arab countries acted as mediators.

10-point ceasefire

In a video broadcast by Syrian state television, Sheikh Yusuf al-Jarbu, one of the country’s three main Druze spiritual leaders, read the 10-point text of the ceasefire. This text also included the “full integration of the Suwayda province into the Syrian state.”

According to the ceasefire text, civilians and their property will not be harmed. This clause is particularly significant following testimonies and reports of violations such as alleged executions and looting carried out by government forces and their allies in recent days.

It also states that a joint committee of Druze and regime officials will investigate “crimes and legal violations” in the region. The text also includes the release of everyone detained during the events.

Some Druze groups oppose the agreement

However, shortly after the ceasefire announcement, Druze leader Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri rejected the ceasefire. In a statement, al-Hijri said: “There can be no agreement or negotiation with these armed groups that call themselves a government.”

Al-Hijri called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US President Donald Trump, and “everyone influential” to “save Suwayda.”

The “Men of Dignity Movement,” one of the two largest Druze armed groups in the region, also stated, “Any agreement that does not include the full withdrawal of the occupying forces is unacceptable.” A post on Facebook included the following statement: “We will continue to fight until the occupiers withdraw from all the villages and towns they have defiled.”

Death toll in Suwayda exceeds 350

The Israeli army announced that it is continuing its airstrikes against Syrian government forces in the Suwayda region and released footage of the attacks. The army announced that the targets of the attacks included armored vehicles, pickup trucks equipped with machine guns, army positions, weapons depots, and other military targets.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported this morning that the death toll has exceeded 350. According to AFP, citing SOHR, 79 Druze fighters and 55 civilians have been killed so far in the clashes that erupted on Sunday. Of these civilians, 27 were killed in “extrajudicial executions” by elements of the Syrian Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Interior. Additionally, 189 defense and interior personnel and 18 Bedouin fighters were killed in the clashes.

It was announced that a press worker named Hassan al-Zaabi was also among those killed in Suwayda.

The UK-based organization also reported that 15 defense and interior ministry personnel were killed in Israeli airstrikes in southern Syria.

In footage shared on social media, pro-government militants were seen forcibly shaving the mustaches of Druze sheikhs and trampling on Druze flags and photos of religious leaders. In other footage, Druze fighters were recorded beating captured regime soldiers and posing over their bodies. AP reporters saw burned and looted houses in the area.

Israel continued attacks during ceasefire talks

Meanwhile, despite the ceasefire talks, Israel continued its attacks on Syrian government forces and reiterated that it would defend the Druze.

Israeli Chief of General Staff, General Eyal Zamir, visited the Syrian border on Wednesday evening and, in an assessment with soldiers, made the following statement: “We are acting with determination to prevent the establishment of enemy elements across the border, to protect Israeli citizens, and to prevent harm to the Druze.”

‘We will not remain silent in the face of attacks’

Speaking at a memorial ceremony for Zionist leader Theodor Herzl, Israeli President Isaac Herzog stated that Israel cannot remain indifferent to a jihadist threat across its border, saying: “Israel will not remain silent when there is a possibility of a jihadist threat across the border. Israel will also not remain silent when the Druze community, which it considers its own and a part of itself, is under attack and facing the danger of a massacre.”