Overview

• The U.S.-brokered ceasefire has largely held since mid-July, but more than 130,000 residents remain displaced and basic services in Sweida are severely disrupted
• Syria’s defence and interior ministries have opened probes into execution-style killings by unidentified fighters and government-aligned forces after videos showed bodies dumped in guesthouses
• Monitoring groups report that over 1,400 people—predominantly Druze civilians—died in the clashes between Bedouin clans and militia factions
• Paris meetings between Syrian and Israeli officials, mediated by U.S. envoy Tom Barrack, produced no final accord but set a framework for ongoing de-escalation discussions
• French President Emmanuel Macron hailed the ceasefire as a positive sign for Syria’s fragile transition and urged stronger protection for civilians