Overview

• A U.S.-brokered truce between the Syrian interim government and Israel was agreed on July 18, leading to an immediate but tenuous ceasefire
• The Syrian Interior Ministry reports that security forces have begun deploying across Soueida province to protect civilians and curb intercommunal violence
• Despite the ceasefire, sporadic firefights persist at Soueida’s outskirts as Druze militias and Bedouin tribal fighters clash
• Israel has dispatched 2 million shekels in food and medical aid to the Druze community while residents face critical shortages of water, electricity and infant milk
• The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has called for swift, transparent investigations into alleged atrocities as the death toll approaches 1,000 and over 87,000 people remain displaced