Israel Halts Airstrikes On Syria As Sectarian Clashes Ease

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Deadly sectarian clashes in Syria eased Thursday, after a ceasefire was announced between groups fighting in the Druze-majority southern province and Israel signaled air strikes over recent days were suspended.

Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa, in his first public comments since violence broke out over the weekend, said he had reached an agreement with Druze factions to withdraw from Suwayda and hand over security responsibilities to the local group.

The move followed days of intensifying airstrikes by Israel, which the military said were aimed at protecting the Druze minority. On Wednesday, Israel struck Syria's military headquarters in Damascus, near the presidential palace, and moved more troops north, citing security threats from the increase of Syrian military forces near the border.

“As a result of that powerful action, a ceasefire came into force, and the Syrian forces retreated back to Damascus,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.“Going forward, we will not allow Syrian army forces to enter the region south of Damascus.”

The foreign ministers of 11 countries in the region welcomed the ceasefire agreement in a joint statement. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Turkey, Egypt, Kuwait, Iraq, Bahrain, Oman, Jordan and Lebanon also condemned Israel's“recurrent assaults” on Syria, saying the country's security and stability reflect on the region.

The fighting is some of the worst since Islamist groups led by Sharaa overthrew Bashar Al-Assad's regime late last year and threatens to unravel efforts to stabilize Syria in the post-civil war era. Since assuming the leadership of the country, Sharaa has sought to assert control over the territory and its institutions, including the military.

Handing over security in Suwayda to the local Druze authorities highlights the challenges involved with Syria's political transition.

“We were facing two options: an open war with the Israeli entity at the expense of the Druze and destabilizing Syria and the entire region or make room for Druze locals to return to wisdom and prioritize national interest,” Sharaa said.

Sharaa accused Israel of trying to drag the country into chaos after it launched airstrikes in Syria. In turn, Israel says the Syrian government had directed fighting against the Druze, a community the Jewish state has pledged to protect.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 360 people have been killed in Suwayda since clashes started, with 27 being executed. The deaths include 207 members of the Syrian security forces, the SOHR said.

Violent fighting erupted between Sunni Muslim Bedouin groups and Druze residents in the southern area of Suwayda over the weekend. Sharaa said government forces intervened to stop clashes resulting from long-standing sectarian disputes in Syria.

The Druze are Arabs whose faith is an offshoot of Islam. There are 1 million of them, living mostly in Syria, Lebanon and Israel. Israeli Druze men do military service and, with their Arabic and loyalty to the Israeli state, often rise high in the ranks.

There are around 20,000 Druze in the Golan Heights, which Israel conquered from Syria in 1967 and annexed in 1981. Most of those Druze identify more with Syria than Israel, although there have been signs of that changing among the younger generations.

In his speech, Sharaa praised mediation efforts by the US, Turkey and Arab countries that he said spared the region from“an uncertain fate” after Israel's strikes on civilian and government facilities.

With assistance from Alisa Odenheimer and Sherif Tarek.

©2025 Bloomberg L.P.

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