From 3d ago 16.00 BST Syria’s Druze reach new ceasefire deal with government in Sweida, religious leader says Syria’s Druze have reached a ceasefire agreement with the Syrian government in Sweida that will take immediate effect, Druze religious leader Sheikh Yousef Jarbou said in a video broadcast by state media on Wednesday. An earlier ceasefire announced on Tuesday night collapsed after only a few hours. There was still fire from government forces in the predominantly Druze city of Sweida after the announcement was made, according to a Reuters witness. Share

3d ago 18.54 BST Israel’s military said a ballistic missile launched by the Houthi militant group in Yemen has been intercepted by air defences. Sirens sounded in the Dead Sea area following the launch, according to reports. There were no immediate reports of injuries. Share

3d ago 18.50 BST US calls on Syria to withdraw troops The US is calling on Syria to withdraw its troops to allow for deescalation, a state department spokesperson said. Tammy Bruce spoke to Fox News after clashes between Syrian government troops and local Druze fighters resumed in the southern city of Sweida hours after a ceasefire agreement. “We are calling on the Syrian government to withdraw their military in order to allow all sides to be able to de-escalate,” she said. Share

3d ago 17.57 BST The day so far The blog is taking a pause but here is a round-up of the day’s headlines so far: Syria’s Druze have reached a ceasefire agreement with the Syrian government in Sweida that will take immediate effect, Druze religious leader Sheikh Yousef Jarbou said in a video broadcast by state media on Wednesday. An earlier ceasefire announced on Tuesday night collapsed after only a few hours.

The Trump administration is close to an agreement to de-escalate the situation between Israel and Syria, Axios reported on Wednesday, citing an unnamed US official. US secretary of state Marco Rubio earlier on Wednesday told reporters at the White House that he expected progress towards de-escalation in the next few hours, after Israel launched powerful airstrikes in Damascus.

US secretary of state Marco Rubio said on Wednesday the situation in Syria is “complicated” but looks like a “misunderstanding” and he thinks progress towards de-escalation will be made in the next few hours.

Israel will not let the Syrian army establish a military presence on their shared border and will protect the Druze population in southern Syria from attack, an Israeli military official said on Wednesday. The official said Israel was in close contact with the United States over the situation in Syria, adding that Israel was prepared for any eventuality after launching numerous airstrikes over the past 24 hours on Syrian targets.

The EU on Wednesday said it was “alarmed” by the continued clashes in Syria’s Druze-majority Sweida, calling on all sides to implement a ceasefire and protect civilians, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports. A statement by the EU’s diplomatic arm also urged “all external actors” to “fully respect Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity” after Israel carried out strikes in support of the Druze.

Damage from apparent massive strikes on Syria’s defence ministry in Damascus were shown in live footage on Al Jazeera TV on Wednesday. The Syrian state news agency said the airstrikes were by Israel.

Washington’s ambassador to Turkey on Wednesday called for a “step back” and negotiations to get to a ceasefire in Syria’s city of Sweida and condemned violence against civilians. “We unequivocally condemn violence against civilians in Suwayda. Full stop. All parties must step back and engage in meaningful dialogue that leads to a lasting ceasefire. Perpetrators need to be held accountable,” Tom Barrack wrote in a post on X.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked Druze citizens in Israel not to cross the border into Syria , saying on Wednesday the situation there was “very grave” and they could be kidnapped or killed.

At least 248 people have been killed in the Sweida province after several days of clashes, a war monitor said on Wednesday. At least 20 people were killed in an incident in Gaza’s Khan Younis on Wednesday, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has claimed. The Israeli-backed logistics group, which uses private US security and logistics companies to get aid supplies into Gaza, claimed that 19 victims were trampled and one was stabbed during what it described as a “chaotic and dangerous surge, driven by agitators in the crowd”. Palestinian health officials told Reuters that the number of people who were killed at the site had since risen to 21.

Gaza local health authorities said Israeli military strikes have killed at least 87 people across the territory in the past 24 hours.

US president Donald Trump will meet with Qatar’s prime minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on Wednesday to discuss negotiations over a Gaza ceasefire deal. Israeli and Hamas negotiators have been taking part in the latest round of ceasefire talks in Doha since 6 July, discussing a US-backed proposal for a 60-day ceasefire that envisages a phased release of hostages, Israeli troop withdrawals from parts of Gaza and discussions on ending the conflict.

Explosive-laden drones hit three oilfields in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region on Wednesday, Kurdish authorities said, a day after a similar attack halted operations at a US-run field. Production in the Peshkabir and Tawke oilfields operated by the Norwegian group DNO ASA, has been temporarily suspended, the company said.

Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday that Israel’s attacks during last month’s 12-day war were intended to weaken the Islamic republic’s system and spark unrest to topple it. Khamenei also said in comments carried by state TV on Wednesday that Iran is ready to respond to any renewed military attack.Israeli defence minister Israel Katz had said on Wednesday that Syrian forces should withdraw from the country’s south. He added that there would be no let-up in Israeli military attacks until that happened, saying Israel would “raise the level of responses against the regime if the message is not understood”. Share Updated at 18.44 BST

3d ago 17.32 BST US close to deal to de-escalate Israel-Syria, Axios reports The Trump administration is close to an agreement to de-escalate the situation between Israel and Syria, Axios reported on Wednesday, citing an unnamed US official. US secretary of state Marco Rubio earlier on Wednesday told reporters at the White House that he expected progress towards de-escalation in the next few hours, after Israel launched powerful airstrikes in Damascus. Share

3d ago 17.08 BST US secretary of state Marco Rubio said on Wednesday the situation in Syria is “complicated” but looks like a “misunderstanding” and he thinks progress towards de-escalation will be made in the next few hours. Share

3d ago 16.48 BST William Christou Syrian state media has announced a ceasefire in the Druze-majority province in Syria, which if successful, would end four days of fighting that has claimed at least 200 lives, according to a war monitor. The announcement of a ceasefire was accompanied by a statement by sheikh Yousef Jarbooua, one of the three spiritual leaders of the Syrian Druze community, which endorsed the ceasefire and said institutions in the Syrian Druze-majority of Suweida would soon come under state control. It was unclear if the ceasefire would hold, as a second spiritual leader of the Druze community, Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, rejecting the announced ceasefire and calling upon Druze militiamen to continue fighting. “We assure local and international public opinion that there is no agreement, negotiation or authorization with these armed gangs that falsely call themselves a government,” the spiritual leader said in a statement. A similar ceasefire announced on Tuesday broke down in similar circumstances after a split emerged between the spiritual leaders of the Druze community in Syria. The four days of fighting in Suweida initially started as a local dispute between Bedouin Arab tribes and Druze fighters, but after government forces intervened, fighting began between security forces and Druze militia men. Israel soon got involved as well, bombing Syrian government forces in southern Syria and the military headquarters of the ministry of defence in Damascus, in what it said was a “warning” to Syria’s president. Since December, Israel has claimed to defend the Druze in Syria, a patronage not all Syrian Druze are comfortable with. If successful, the ceasefire on Wednesday would put an end to the worst sectarian fighting since the coastal massacres in March which saw more than 1,500, mostly civilians, killed in less than a week. Share

3d ago 16.26 BST The United States is “very worried” about the violence in southern Syria, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement on Wednesday. “It is a direct threat to efforts to help build a peaceful and stable Syria. We have been and remain in repeated and constant talks with the governments of Syria and Israel on this matter,” Rubio said. Share

3d ago 16.00 BST Syria’s Druze reach new ceasefire deal with government in Sweida, religious leader says Syria’s Druze have reached a ceasefire agreement with the Syrian government in Sweida that will take immediate effect, Druze religious leader Sheikh Yousef Jarbou said in a video broadcast by state media on Wednesday. An earlier ceasefire announced on Tuesday night collapsed after only a few hours. There was still fire from government forces in the predominantly Druze city of Sweida after the announcement was made, according to a Reuters witness. Share

3d ago 15.47 BST US president Donald Trump’s administration asked Israel again on Wednesday to halt strikes on Syria and engage in dialogue with the government in Damascus, Axios reported, citing a senior US official. Axios did not say whether that request came before or after Israeli strikes on Wednesday on Syria’s military headquarters and near the presidential palace in Damascus. Share

3d ago 15.28 BST US secretary of state Marco Rubio, asked about Israeli strikes on Syria on Wednesday, said the United States was concerned, adding that he had just spoken to the relevant parties over the phone. “We’re going to be working on that issue as we speak. I just got off the phone with the relevant parties. We’re very concerned about it, and hopefully we’ll have some updates later today. But we’re very concerned about it,” Rubio said, adding that the US wants fighting to stop as clashes between Syrian government troops and local Druze fighters broke out hours after a ceasefire agreement. Share

3d ago 15.16 BST Israel will not let the Syrian army establish a military presence on their shared border and will protect the Druze population in southern Syria from attack, an Israeli military official said on Wednesday. The official said Israel was in close contact with the United States over the situation in Syria, adding that Israel was prepared for any eventuality after launching numerous airstrikes over the past 24 hours on Syrian targets. He added that the Syrian army was part of the problem, not the solution to the crisis, saying it had done nothing to protect the Druze minority. Share

3d ago 14.58 BST Turkey on Wednesday condemned Israel’s strikes on Syrian army headquarters in Damascus, saying they sought to undermine stability in the war-torn country, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports. The foreign ministry said in a statement: Israel’s attacks on Damascus, following its military interventions in the south of Syria, constitute an act of sabotage against Syria’s efforts to secure peace, stability, and security. Share

3d ago 14.37 BST The EU on Wednesday said it was “alarmed” by the continued clashes in Syria’s Druze-majority Sweida, calling on all sides to implement a ceasefire and protect civilians, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports. A statement by the EU’s diplomatic arm also urged “all external actors” to “fully respect Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity” after Israel carried out strikes in support of the Druze. Syrian government forces stand accused of summary executions and other abuses in Sweida, where sectarian violence between Druze fighters and Bedouin tribes has left scores dead. View image in fullscreen Clashes continue for the fourth day between Syrian security forces and armed local groups as the government seeks to gain control over Sweida province, where the Druze population is concentrated Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images France on Wednesday also called for an end to “abuses targeting civilians” in Sweida. “The abuses targeting civilians, which we strongly condemn, must stop,” the foreign ministry said, calling for an “immediate cessation of clashes” and urging all sides to respect a ceasefire. Share Updated at 14.39 BST

3d ago 14.22 BST Israel warns Syria of ‘painful blows’ as airstrikes hit capital Israel’s defence minister Israel Katz on Wednesday warned Syria that it would hit the country hard after deadly clashes that saw government forces align with Bedouin fighters in clashes against the Druze, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports. “The signals to Damascus are over – now come the painful blows,” he said, promising that the Israeli military would “operate forcefully” in Syria’s southern Sweida region “to eliminate the forces that attacked the Druze until their full withdrawal”. A live broadcast by the Qatari channel Al Jazeera showed a series of Israeli airstrikes on the Syrian army and defence ministry headquarters in Damascus, with smoke billowing into the sky and parts of the building damaged. Israel’s attack came hours after a drone strike on the same building. Syrian state media reported a “number of casualties” without giving further details. State television reported “a new aggression by the Israeli occupation air force in Umayyad Square, near the headquarters building in central Damascus”. Share

Israeli troops opened fire on Saturday towards crowds of Palestinians seeking food at a distribution point run by an Israeli-backed US company in southern Gaza, killing at least 32 Palestinians, according to witnesses and local health officials.

In a separate incident, at least 18 more Palestinians were killed in an Israeli air strikes on Gaza City in the north of the enclave. The attacks occurred near hubs operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GHF).

The Israeli military did not immediately react to reports of the two incidents.

The GHF launched operations in late May with backing from the US and Israel. The two governments launched the initiative in a bid to replace the traditional UN-led aid distribution system in Gaza, after repeated accusations of Hamas militants stealing supplies.

The Delaware-based GHF says it has distributed millions of meals to hungry Palestinians in its just over two months of operations. Local health officials and witnesses say hundreds of Palestinians were killed by Israeli troops as they attempted to reach the distribution points.

Relatives of Palestinians killed at an aid point run by the GHF, a US-backed org approved by Israel, mourn over their bodies at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, July 19, 2025 (Relatives of Palestinians killed at an aid point run by the GHF, a US-backed org approved by Israel, mourn over their bodies at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, July 19, 2025)

The Israeli army, as per an agreement with Washington, is not permitted physical presence at the GHF sites, but does work to secure the facilities from a distance. Israel says it only fires “warning shots” if Palestinians get too close to their forces.

The GHF, which employs private armed guards to secure its sites, says there have been no deadly shootings on their campuses.

Earlier this week, 20 Palestinians were killed at a GHF site near Khan Younis, most of them in a stampede, in what was the first public recognition of fatalities at the US-led operation.

Witnesses say the stampede occurred after security forces deployed tear gas and stun grenades on the crowds of people lined up, inciting panic.

Most of Saturday’s deaths occurred as Palestinians massed in the Teina area, around three kilometres from the GHF aid site east of the city of Khan Younis.

Mahmoud Mokeimar, an eyewitness, said he was walking with masses of people — mostly young men — towards the food hub. Troops fired warning shots as the crowds advanced, before opening fire toward the marching people, he said.

“It was a massacre, the occupation opened fire at us indiscriminately.” Mokeimar noted that he managed to flee but saw at least three motionless bodies lying on the ground, and many others fleeing who’ve been wounded.

Akram Aker, another witness, said troops fired machine guns mounted on tanks and drones. He said the shooting happened between 5 and 6 am local time. “They encircled us and started firing directly at us,” he said.

Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry says the bodies of the 32 victims were transferred to the Nasser hospital. 70 others who had sustained injuries of various degrees were also admitted at the hospital.

A Palestinian man, injured at a food distribution point run by the GHF, a US-backed org approved by Israel, is being carried into Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, July 19, 2025 (A Palestinian man, injured at a food distribution point run by the GHF, a US-backed org approved by Israel, is being carried into Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, July 19, 2025)

The latest attacks come as Palestinian students are scheduled to sit exams for the first time since Israel launched its offensive on the enclave more than 21 months ago. Some 1,500 students are set to complete their examinations on Saturday, in hopes of entering university.

The death toll in Gaza has now surpassed 58,500 according to the health ministry. It’s figures do not distinguish between civilian and combatant casualties, though deaths verified by the UN indicated that two-thirds of those killed were women and children.

Israel’s war on Gaza has began over 21 months ago, after Hamas fighters staged an attack on southern Israel, killing 1,200 people on 7 October, 2023.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he’s not prepared to end the war until all of Israel’s objectives are realised; the destruction, dissolution, disarmament and exile of Hamas.

3m ago 15.01 BST Closing summary This blog will be closing soon. Here is a summary of today’s developments: At least 32 people were killed by Israeli fire while they were on their way to an aid distribution site in Gaza at dawn on Saturday, according to the Gaza Health Ministry and Nasser hospital in Khan Younis. The Israeli military said it had fired warning shots at suspects who approached its troops after they did not heed calls to stop, about a kilometre away from an aid distribution site that was not active at the time.

US president Donald Trump said on Friday that another 10 hostages will be released from Gaza shortly, without providing additional details. Trump made the comment during a dinner with lawmakers at the White House, lauding the efforts of his special envoy Steve Witkoff. Israeli and Hamas negotiators have been taking part in the latest round of ceasefire talks in Doha since 6 July, discussing a US-backed proposal for a 60-day ceasefire.

The death toll from violence in Sweida province, heartland of Syria’s Druze minority, has risen to 940 since last weekend, a war monitor said, despite the announcement of a ceasefire, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the dead included 326 Druze fighters and 262 Druze civilians, 182 of whom were “summarily executed by defence and interior ministry personnel”.

Syria’s Islamist-led government said its internal security forces began deploying in Sweida on Saturday as the presidency called on all parties to respect a ceasefire following bloodshed in the predominantly Druze area that has left hundreds dead. In a statement, the Syrian presidency announced an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire and urged all parties to commit to it and end hostilities in all areas immediately.

Dr Omar Obeid, who heads the Sweida division at Syria’s Order of Physicians, said Sweida’s only government hospital has received “more than 400 bodies since Monday morning”, including women, children and elderly people. He said: “It’s not a hospital any more, it’s a mass grave,”

Iraq has detained six local officials and suspended other public employees following a fire that killed 61 people at a shopping mall earlier this week, authorities said on Saturday, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports. The blaze, which broke out late on Wednesday in a newly opened shopping mall in the eastern city of Kut, is the latest fatal disaster in a country where safety regulations are often ignored.

The number of people killed when a coach overturned in southern Iran on Saturday has risen to 21, with 34 having been injured, state media reported. The accident, the cause of which remains unclear, occurred near Kavar, a town about 1,000 kilometres (600 miles) from the capital, Tehran. Share

17m ago 14.46 BST The number of people injured in a bus crash in the south of Iran has increased to 34, the Associated Press (AP) reports. Masoud Abed, the head of Fars province’s emergency organisation, said that 34 other people were injured in the accident to the south of Shiraz, the province’s capital.

Abed said that rescue operations are ongoing and that additional information and final figures will be announced after the operation is complete and detailed investigations have been carried out.

He added that the incident occurred at 11.05am, and rescue forces were immediately present at the scene.

The cause of the incident is under investigation. Share

22m ago 14.41 BST Reuters reports that a fire that broke out on Saturday at a unit of Iran’s Abadan refinery, killing one employee, has been brought under control, Iran’s oil ministry’s SHANA news agency reported. It said operations were unaffected. Shana reported: According to initial technical probes, the cause of the fire was a leak in one of the pumps in Unit 70, and no evidence of sabotage or human intervention has been observed so far. State television said firefighters from Abadan and nearby areas had responded. Local new agencies earlier carried videos showing large flames and dark stacks of smoke rising from a segment of the refinery, Iran’s oldest crude processing facility in the southwestern oil-rich Khuzestan province, which is now among one of the hottest places in the world. Temperatures are nearly 50C (122F). The refinery, like almost all Iranian oil and gas processing plants, needs major works and renovation. Share

33m ago 14.31 BST Six local officials detained after Iraq mall fire Iraq has detained six local officials and suspended other public employees following a fire that killed 61 people at a shopping mall earlier this week, authorities said on Saturday, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports. The blaze, which broke out late on Wednesday in a newly opened shopping mall in the eastern city of Kut, is the latest fatal disaster in a country where safety regulations are often ignored. After an initial investigation, the interior ministry said “there was clear negligence among several officials and employees” in Kut, located about 160 kilometres (100 miles) southeast of Baghdad. It added that three local officials, including the head of civil defence in Kut, had been detained, and 17 employees suspended from work until further notice. The Commission of Integrity, an anti-graft body, said later that security forces had detained three more officials “over the violations that led to the fire” at the Corniche Hypermarket Mall, including the head of the violations department at Kut’s municipality. Officials say their investigation is ongoing, and the number of detainees may change. Safety standards in Iraq’s construction sector are often ignored, and the country frequently experiences fatal fires and accidents as a result of its weakened infrastructure from decades of conflict. The cause of the mall fire was not immediately known, but one survivor told AFP an air conditioner had exploded on the second floor before the five-storey building was rapidly engulfed in flames. Several people told AFP they lost family members, and in some cases whole families, who had gone to shop and dine at the mall days after it opened. Share Updated at 14.44 BST

44m ago 14.19 BST 21 people reported dead after Iran bus crash Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports that the number of people killed when a coach overturned in southern Iran on Saturday has risen to 21, with nearly 30 having been injured, state media reported. The accident, the cause of which remains unclear, occurred near Kavar, a town about 1,000 kilometres (600 miles) from the capital, Tehran. “Unfortunately, 21 deaths have been recorded,” Kavar hospital director Mohsen Afrasiabi told state television, adding that 29 people were injured. Iranian media showed images of a coach lying on its side on a mountain road. Share

1h ago 14.04 BST At least 32 reportedly killed by Israeli fire in Gaza At least 32 people were killed by Israeli fire while they were on their way to an aid distribution site in Gaza at dawn on Saturday, according to the Gaza Health Ministry and Nasser hospital in Khan Younis, Reuters reports. The Israeli military said it had fired warning shots at suspects who approached its troops after they did not heed calls to stop, about a kilometre away from an aid distribution site that was not active at the time. Gaza resident Mohammed al-Khalidi said he was in the group approaching the site and heard no warnings before the firing began. He said: We thought they came out to organise us so we can get aid, suddenly (I) saw the jeeps coming from one side, and the tanks from the other and started shooting at us. The Gaza Humanitarian Fund, a US-backed group which runs the aid site, said there were no incidents or fatalities there on Saturday and that it has repeatedly warned people not to travel to its distribution points at dark. It said: The reported IDF (Israel defence Forces) activity resulting in fatalities occurred hours before our sites opened and our understanding is most of the casualties occurred several kilometres away from the nearest GHF site. The Israeli military said it was reviewing the incident. Share Updated at 14.34 BST

1h ago 13.44 BST The European Union has welcomed a US-brokered ceasefire between Syria and Israel, saying it was “appalled” by the deadly sectarian violence in Syria’s southern Druze heartland that prompted Israeli strikes, AFP reports. The EU’s diplomatic service said in a statement: Now is the time for dialogue and for advancing a truly inclusive transition. Syria’s transitional authorities, together with local authorities, bear the responsibility to protect all Syrians without distinction. It also called for all perpetrators behind “grave violations” of international law to be held accountable. Share Updated at 13.44 BST

2h ago 13.18 BST As we’ve been reporting, Syria’s presidency has called on all parties to respect a ceasefire following bloodshed in the predominantly Druze area that has left hundreds dead. Our graphics team have provided this map showing where the fighting has taken place: Map showing Sweida Share Updated at 13.26 BST

2h ago 12.57 BST Summary of the day so far Israeli troops opened fire on Saturday toward crowds of Palestinians seeking food from distribution hubs run by an Israeli-backed group in southern Gaza, killing at least 32 people, according to witnesses and hospital officials, the Associated Press (AP) reports. The two incidents occurred near hubs operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. In other violence, two Palestinians were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City, health officials said.

US president Donald Trump said on Friday that another 10 hostages will be released from Gaza shortly, without providing additional details. Trump made the comment during a dinner with lawmakers at the White House, lauding the efforts of his special envoy Steve Witkoff. Israeli and Hamas negotiators have been taking part in the latest round of ceasefire talks in Doha since 6 July, discussing a US-backed proposal for a 60-day ceasefire.

The death toll from violence in Sweida province, heartland of Syria’s Druze minority, has risen to 940 since last weekend, a war monitor said, despite the announcement of a ceasefire, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the dead included 326 Druze fighters and 262 Druze civilians, 182 of whom were “summarily executed by defence and interior ministry personnel”.

Syria’s Islamist-led government said its internal security forces began deploying in Sweida on Saturday as the presidency called on all parties to respect a ceasefire following bloodshed in the predominantly Druze area that has left hundreds dead. In a statement, the Syrian presidency announced an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire and urged all parties to commit to it and end hostilities in all areas immediately.

Dr Omar Obeid, who heads the Sweida division at Syria’s Order of Physicians, said Sweida’s only government hospital has received “more than 400 bodies since Monday morning”, including women, children and the elderly. He said: “It’s not a hospital any more, it’s a mass grave,”

Iran’s state media is reporting that at least 15 people were killed after a bus overturned in the south of the country. State-run IRNA quoted Masoud Abed, the head of Fars province’s emergency organisation, as saying that so far 15 people were confirmed dead and 27 were injured after the accident in the south of Shiraz city, the capital of the province.

Nearly 80,000 people have been displaced by sectarian violence in southern Syria that began last week, the UN’s migration agency said on Friday. In a statement, the International Organization for Migration said “79,339 people have been displaced since 13 July, including 20,019 on 17 July”, adding that water, electricity and telecoms services in Sweida had “collapsed” and fuel shortages had crippled transportation and emergency logistics. Share

2h ago 12.43 BST Syria death toll rises to 940, war monitor says The death toll from violence in Sweida province, heartland of Syria’s Druze minority, has risen to 940 since last weekend, a war monitor said, despite the announcement of a ceasefire, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the dead included 326 Druze fighters and 262 Druze civilians, 182 of whom were “summarily executed by defence and interior ministry personnel”. They also included 312 government security personnel and 21 Sunni Bedouin, three of them civilians who were “summarily executed by Druze fighters”. Another 15 government troops were killed in Israeli strikes, the Observatory said. Share

3h ago 12.28 BST Donna Ferguson A statement on Saturday by one of the three religious leaders of the Syrian Druze community, sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, said the ceasefire would guarantee safe exit for tribe members and the opening of humanitarian corridors for besieged civilians to leave. Hours earlier, the US envoy announced that Israel and Syria had agreed to a ceasefire, after Israel sided with the Druze factions and joined the conflict, including by bombing a government building in Damascus. The UN had also called for an end to the “bloodshed” and demanded an independent investigation of the violence, which has killed at least 718 people from both sides since Sunday, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Share

3h ago 12.13 BST Israel on Saturday dismissed a renewed pledge by Syria’s interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa to protect minorities after deadly sectarian clashes, saying it was “very dangerous” to be a minority in the country. Foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar posted on X: Bottom line: In al-Shara’s Syria, it is very dangerous to be a member of a minority – Kurd, Druze, Alawite or Christian,” This has been proven time and again over the past six months. He added the international community had “a duty to ensure the security and rights of the minorities in Syria and to condition Syria’s renewed acceptance into the family of nations on their protection”. Share

3h ago 11.56 BST Interim Syrian president Ahmed al-Sharaa in a speech said that “Arab and American” mediation had helped bring calm, and criticised Israel for airstrikes against Syrian government forces in the south and Damascus during the week. Sweida province has been engulfed by nearly a week of violence, which began with clashes between Bedouin fighters and Druze factions, before Damascus sent in government security forces. Israel has carried out airstrikes in southern Syria and on the defence ministry in Damascus, saying it is protecting the Druze minority, of whom there are a significant number in Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. In a statement on Saturday, the Syrian presidency announced an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire and urged all parties to end hostilities immediately. Share

Gaza’s civil defence agency said Israeli attacks killed 32 people and wounded more than 100 near two aid centres in the south of the Palestinian territory.

Agency spokesman Mahmud Basal told AFP that Israeli gunfire killed Palestinian aid seekers near a site southwest of Khan Younis and another centre northwest of Rafah.

An eyewitness said he headed to the Al-Tina area of Khan Younis before dawn with five of his relatives to try to get food, when Israeli soldiers started shooting.

“My relatives and I were unable to get anything,” Abdul Aziz Abed, 37, told AFP. “Every day I go there and all we get is bullets and exhaustion instead of food.”

The Israeli military said it was “looking into” the attacks.

The more than two million people in Gaza are facing severe shortages of food and other essentials, and doctors have reported a spike in acute malnutrition.

Deaths of people waiting for aid in huge crowds near aid distribution centres have become a regular occurrence.

Earlier this week, the UN said it had recorded 875 people killed in Gaza while trying to get food, including 674 in the vicinity of Gaza Humanitarian Foundation sites, since the the US and Israel backed organisation began operating.

An unidentified drone attack has killed a member of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and injured another near northern Iraq’s Sulaimaniyah, according to security sources and local officials.

The attack on Saturday was the first of its kind in months and occurred as the PKK has begun the first steps towards disarmament, ending its armed campaign against the Turkish state.

The drone attack hit a motorbike in the area, according to Iraqi outlet The New Region.

The mayor of Penjwen, in Sulaimaniyah, Hemin Ibrahim, confirmed that the drone targeted two people in a border village within the district, resulting in one dead, Kurdistan24 reported.

“The two individuals were riding a motorcycle when they were targeted. One was killed, and the other sustained injuries,” he told the news outlet.

Ibrahim told Kurdistan24 that the strike occurred Saturday morning.

No group or country has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

A small ceremony was held last Friday in Sulaimaniyah in Iraq’s northern Kurdish region, where 20 to 30 PKK fighters destroyed their weapons rather than surrendering them to any government or authority.

The symbolic process was conducted under tight security and is expected to unfold throughout the summer.

The PKK announced in May that it would abandon its armed struggle in May, after 40 years of fighting.

For most of its history, the Kurdish group has been labelled as “terrorists” by Turkiye, the European Union and the United States.

More than 40,000 people were killed in the fighting between 1984 and 2024, with thousands of Kurds fleeing the violence in southeastern Turkiye into cities further north.

Turkiye’s leaders have welcomed the disarmament process, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stating that the ceremony last week marked an “important step towards our goal of a terror-free Turkiye”.

A Turkish parliamentary commission is expected to define the conditions for the reintegration of PKK fighters into civilian and political life in Turkiye.