The ceasefire, brokered by the United States, was announced on Friday by US Ambassador Tom Barrack . He stated that the agreement was supported by Turkey, Jordan, and other regional governments.

Syria and Israel have agreed to a ceasefire after days of intense fighting in the southern Syrian province of Suwayda, where armed clashes between Druze and Bedouin groups, combined with Israeli airstrikes , have killed more than 260 people.

Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa confirmed the ceasefire in a televised address on Saturday, saying it aimed to “spare Syrian blood” and “preserve the unity of Syrian territory.” Al-Sharaa also blamed Israel’s air campaign for escalating the violence, calling it “a dangerous turning point.”

Israeli forces launched airstrikes on Wednesday targeting Syria’s Ministry of Defence in Damascus and military positions in Suwayda. Israel justified the attacks by claiming it sought to protect the Druze minority, which it described as its “brothers.”

According to Syria’s Ministry of Health, the death toll in Suwayda has reached at least 260. The International Organization for Migration estimates around 80,000 people have fled the province since the outbreak of violence. On Thursday alone, approximately 20,000 civilians were displaced.

Syria’s Interior Ministry said on Saturday that internal security forces had begun deployment in the province. Ministry spokesperson Noureddine al-Baba said the goal was to “protect civilians and put an end to the chaos.”

Fighting began last week between armed Bedouin fighters and Druze factions, then expanded to include government forces. Reports from Suwayda describe extensive destruction of infrastructure, including electricity and water supplies, with eyewitness accounts of extrajudicial killings.

It remains unclear whether Syrian troops have entered Suwayda city or are still stationed outside. Some Druze leaders have welcomed the ceasefire, while others remain opposed, according to local sources.

An unnamed Israeli official told reporters that Israel had agreed to permit the “limited entry” of Syrian security forces into Suwayda for 48 hours to stabilise the situation.

Al Jazeera’s Mohamed Vall, reporting from Damascus, said the government framed its deployment as a neutral intervention to prevent civil strife. Al-Sharaa praised the people of Suwayda, stating both Druze and Arab communities were “noble” and only a small group sought violence.

According to Reuters, Syria’s leadership believed it had prior approval from the US and Israel to send forces to the south. The misunderstanding appears to have triggered Israel’s sudden military reaction. The information was reportedly based on comments from Thomas Barrack, US special envoy for Syria, and bilateral talks with Israeli officials.

The current truce follows a week of rising regional tensions. Analysts describe Israel’s actions as part of a wider strategic campaign, including military operations in Gaza, Lebanon, and Yemen, and threats of renewed confrontation with Iran.

Nour Odeh, also reporting for Al Jazeera, said Israel’s strategy was less about protecting minorities and more about consolidating dominance across multiple fronts. “This is a zero-sum formula of territorial expansion and concurrent wars,” she said.

The violence in Suwayda has underscored the fragility of Syria’s internal security and exposed the complexity of ethnic and religious dynamics. The Druze community, a small minority in Syria and Israel, has historically occupied a sensitive position in regional politics.

Barrack called on all ethnic and religious groups in Syria, including Druze, Bedouin, and Sunni communities, to disarm and “build a new and unified Syrian identity.”

HT

Washington [US], July 19 : In a major diplomatic breakthrough, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa have agreed to a ceasefire, US Ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barrack, said on Saturday.

“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 Turkiye, Jordan and its neighbors, Tom Barrack, who is also Special Envoy for Syria, said in a post on X.

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

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The announcement also included a call for unity among Syria’s diverse communities to support the peace initiative. “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 added.

The ceasefire follows Israeli airstrikes on Syria on Wednesday, which Israel said were carried out to protect the Druze, a minority Arab religious group. Clashes between pro-government forces and Druze factions have left dozens dead since the ouster of longtime Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad, CNN reported.

Syria’s security forces have begun deployment in the southern province of Suwayda, following days of deadly fighting between Druze and Bedouin groups and government forces, compounded by Israeli military intervention, Al Jazeera reported.

The deployment began on Saturday, hours after the United States announced that Israel and Syria had agreed to a ceasefire. However, overnight clashes have cast uncertainty over the truce. Syria’s government said the ceasefire was enacted “to spare Syrian blood, preserve the unity of Syrian territory, the safety of its people.”

In a televised address, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa stated that he “received international calls to intervene in what is happening in Suwayda and restore security to the country.” Al-Sharaa also said Israeli intervention has “reignited tensions” in the city, calling the fighting “a dangerous turning point,” while thanking the US for its support.

Earlier, Interior Ministry spokesman Noureddine al-Baba announced on Telegram that “internal security forces have begun deploying in Suwayda province … with the aim of protecting civilians and putting an end to the chaos.”

According to Al Jazeera’s Mohamed Vall, reporting from Damascus, it remained unclear whether Syrian troops had entered Suwayda city or were still on its outskirts as of Saturday morning. He added that Bedouin tribal fighters were awaiting clarity from the government regarding the ceasefire, while Druze leaders were split some welcoming the truce and others vowing to continue fighting.

“Al-Sharaa said that national unity was a priority for his government and that part of the role of the government was to be a neutral referee between all parties,” Vall reported. “He praised the people of Suwayda, other than the few elements that wanted to sow trouble, saying that both Druze and Arab communities in the city were noble people.”

Fighting in Suwayda had “been going on throughout the night,” Al Jazeera reported, but the deployment of Syrian internal security forces was described as “welcome news” by many residents.

On Friday, an Israeli official told reporters, on condition of anonymity, that due to “ongoing instability in southwest Syria,” Israel had agreed to allow the “limited entry of the [Syrian] internal security forces into Suwayda district for the next 48 hours.”

The Syrian Health Ministry has reported at least 260 deaths in the Druze-majority city, with the International Organization for Migration estimating that around 80,000 people have fled the area.

“A lot of extrajudicial killings [are] being reported,” said Vall. “People are suffering, even those who have been killed or forced to flee, they don’t have electricity, they don’t have water, because most of those services have been badly affected by the fighting.”

Al Jazeera further reported that on Friday night, Israeli forces dispersed a “violent” gathering of Druze citizens near the border fence in the Majdal Shams area of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. The army stated that several demonstrators crossed into Syrian territory and that efforts were underway to return them.

According to Al Jazeera, Damascus believed it had received a green light from both the US and Israel to send forces to Suwayda, based on remarks by US special envoy Thomas Barrack and security discussions with Israeli officials. This perception reportedly came despite earlier Israeli warnings against such deployment.

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The Israeli army said it fired at “suspects who approached” its troops in the southern Gaza Strip overnight into Saturday.

The Israel Defense Forces said in its statement that the “suspects… approached them during operational activity in the Rafah area, posing a threat to the troops.”

The military said its soldiers “called for them to distance themselves, and after they did not comply, the troops fired warning shots.”

The Israeli forces said the incident is “under review” and that they are “aware of reports regarding casualties.”

Israeli troops opened fire in the vicinity of an aid distribution site – “approximately one kilometer away” – the army said, emphasizing that the incident took place “at nighttime, when [the site] is not active.”

A Bedouin fighter shows a victory sign and shouts slogans in the village of Mazraa on the outskirts of the town of Sweida, during clashes between Bedouin clans and Druze militias. Photo: Ghaith Alsayed/AP/dpa Keystone

Following the Israeli airstrikes against Syrian government troops as a result of the violence between Druze and Bedouin, both neighboring countries have agreed on a ceasefire, according to US reports.

Keystone-SDA SDA

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa had agreed to a ceasefire with US support, the US ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria, Thomas Barrack, announced on X. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump is raising hopes of a deal in the Gaza war soon.

In recent days, fighting has broken out in Syria between Druze militias on the one hand and Sunni Bedouin and government troops on the other. Israel intervened and bombed convoys of the Syrian government army on their way to Suwaida, as well as government buildings in the capital Damascus. Israel justified this with the protection of the Druze. In addition, Israel does not want to tolerate military forces in southern Syria, which borders Israel, following the fall of Syrian ex-ruler Bashar al-Assad.

Syria’s interim president calls for restraint

US special envoy Barrack wrote on X: “We call on Druze, Bedouin and Sunnis to lay down their arms and join with other minorities to build a new and united Syrian identity that creates peace and prosperity with its neighbors.” Barrack spoke of a “BREAKTHROUGH”. According to observers, more than 500 people were killed in the fighting in Suwaida province. The Syrian interim president Al-Shaara called on all sides to exercise restraint.

His government’s security forces had previously taken up positions on the outskirts of the provincial capital of the same name in order to move in again. According to reports from the capital Damascus, the government troops are to keep the local conflict parties apart. According to media reports, Israel agreed to tolerate the presence of Syrian government security forces in the province for a period of 48 hours.

Israel distrusts the government in Damascus

The Jewish state distrusts the transitional government in Damascus because it emerged from Islamist militias. Al-Sharaa had in turn accused Israel of wanting to drag its country into a war. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu had declared the protection of the “Druze brothers” as a red line. The Druze are a religious minority that originated from Shiite Islam. They live in Syria, Lebanon, Israel and Jordan. In Israel, the Druze occupy a special position because, unlike Muslim and Christian Arabs, they perform military service.

There have already been armed confrontations in Suwaida, the stronghold of the Druze, in recent months. The latest fighting is the worst. Dozens of Druze civilians are said to have been executed by security forces. The fighting is the work of “lawless armed groups”, Al-Sharaa said in a statement released by his office. “They resort to armed violence to impose their will, risking the lives of civilians – children, women and the elderly.”

Red Cross reports dire conditions

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) described the humanitarian situation in Suwaida as critical, with health facilities overstretched. “The ICRC is receiving desperate calls for help from the population, who are suffering from a severe shortage of food, clean water, electricity and medical care,” the organization said. The violence is hindering the delivery of life-saving aid. Aid workers must be granted immediate, safe and unhindered access to the crisis area.

Under the mediation of the USA, Turkey and Arab states, a ceasefire had actually been reached this week, with government troops withdrawing to the outskirts of Suwaida on Thursday. Druze militias took control, which led to the flight of Bedouin residents. But then armed clashes broke out again in the province of the same name, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the UN Human Rights Office.

Trump: Ten hostages will soon be released in Gaza

Meanwhile, US President Trump once again expressed hope that an agreement would soon be reached in the indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas in Gaza regarding a 60-day ceasefire and the release of ten of the hostages still alive. The Republican said that ten hostages would be released “very soon” – it was hoped that this would be concluded fairly quickly. Hamas had already agreed to the release of ten hostages, according to its own statements, but recently saw unresolved points of contention.

The Gaza war was triggered by the unprecedented attack on Israel by Hamas and other Islamist terrorist organizations on 7 October 2023, in which around 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 were taken hostage in Gaza. Since then, according to the Hamas-controlled health authority, more than 58,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza. The barely verifiable figure does not distinguish between civilians and fighters. According to Israeli intelligence, at least 20 hostages are still alive.

Israel and Syria have agreed to a ceasefire following days of intense clashes in Syria’s Sweida province, which left over 300 dead and hundreds more injured. The agreement, announced by U.S. envoy to Turkey Tom Barrack, comes with support from Turkey, Jordan, and neighboring countries.

Violence erupted between Druze factions and Bedouin fighters in the predominantly Druze region, prompting Israeli airstrikes on Damascus and southern Syria. Israel stated it aimed to protect the Druze minority, which exists in Syria, Lebanon, and Israel. Despite previous opposition, Israel agreed to allow limited entry of Syrian internal security forces into Sweida for 48 hours to help restore order.

The U.S. played a key role in brokering an earlier truce, while the Syrian presidency confirmed that a dedicated force would be deployed to stabilize the region. However, fears remain as thousands of Bedouin fighters reportedly continued moving into Sweida.

Eyewitnesses described severe shortages of food, water, electricity, and fuel, with ongoing violence disrupting communications. The Syrian Network for Human Rights documented at least 321 deaths since Sunday, including women, children, and medical staff, and reported field executions by all parties.

The UN human rights office raised alarms over credible reports of war crimes, including the summary execution of civilians. The UN refugee agency called for immediate humanitarian access to the region.

While Syria’s interim authorities claim efforts are underway to protect civilians and restore stability, Israel has expressed deep concern over Syria’s new Islamist leadership. The U.S., meanwhile, has distanced itself from Israel’s recent military actions, emphasizing the need for de-escalation and accountability.

The situation in Sweida remains fragile, with the ceasefire offering only a temporary pause to a potentially escalating conflict.