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14h ago

Sweida Cease-Fire Holds as Israel Intensifies Strikes on Syrian Military Sites

Government troops have secured Sweida under a total cease-fire, with Israel sustaining air raids on Damascus that UN envoys warn could worsen civilian suffering.

La creciente violencia y el riesgo de una intervención directa por parte de Israel amenazan con desestabilizar aún más el frágil equilibrio en Siria.
Miembros de la comunidad drusa se manifiestan ante las fuerzas israelíes junto a la valla de alambre de púas que separa los Altos del Golán, anexados por Israel, de Siria, cerca de Majdal Shams, el 16 de julio de 2025
DAMASCUS (Syrian Arab Republic), 16/07/2025.- A damaged vehicle outside the Syrian Ministry of Defense building, which houses the military's General Staff Headquarters, following an Israeli airstrike in Damascus, Syria, 16 July 2025. The Israel Defense Forces confirmed the strike on the building on 16 July following the deployment of Syrian troops in the predominantly Druze province of Suwayda (Sweida), after clashes between Druze fighters and Bedouin tribes resulted in the death of dozens of people. The Syrian Defense Minister announced a ceasefire on July 15 in the city of As Suwayda, which Syrian troops entered in the morning, but the area is witnessing violent clashes between government forces and Druze militants. (Siria, Damasco) EFE/EPA/MOHAMMED AL RIFAI
Members of the Israeli Druze community wave Druze and Israeli flags as they demonstrate to protest against the 'Jewish Nation-State Law' in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv on August 4, 2018. Tens of thousands of Israeli Druze and their supporters rallied in central Tel Aviv today to protest the new law they say makes them second-class citizens, an AFP reporter said. The law, which passed last month and is part of Israel's so-called basic laws, a de facto constitution, proclaims the country the nation state of the Jewish people. / AFP PHOTO / JACK GUEZ tel aviv israel drusos protestan contra la ley de nacionalidad ley define a Israel como Estado nacional del pueblo judio manifestantes de la minoría religiosa

Overview

  • Syrian Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra announced deployment of military units to Sweida and the opening of safe corridors before declaring a total cease-fire under an agreement with local dignitaries.
  • Israel’s air force has launched successive strikes on Syrian military positions in Sweida and bombed the Defense Ministry headquarters in Damascus, citing the need to protect the Druze community near its Golan border.
  • The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports at least 248 fatalities from the Sweida clashes, including multiple alleged field executions by government forces and dozens of civilian injuries.
  • United Nations officials, including Deputy Special Envoy Najat Rochdi and Secretary-General António Guterres, have called for immediate measures to protect civilians and ensure unhindered humanitarian access.
  • The Sunni-led interim government of Ahmad al-Sharaa remains strained as deepening sectarian rifts, mass displacement and foreign interventions test its capacity to restore order.