Syria, Druze leaderships react to Suwayda ceasefire
Shafaq News – Damascus (Updated: 3:10 p.m.)
On Saturday, Syrian transitional President Ahmad al-Sharaa and the Druze spiritual leadership backed a ceasefire in Suwayda, following a week of clashes that killed hundreds.
In a televised address, al-Sharaa described the escalation as a “dangerous turning point,” warning that the situation had nearly spiraled out of control. “The Suwayda events revealed dangerous separatist ambitions,” he said. “We disown the massacres… Syria is not a testing ground for partition or sectarian projects.”
“Suwayda remains an inseparable part of Syria,” he added, calling the Druze a “cornerstone of the country’s social fabric.”
He blamed retaliatory attacks by armed factions against Bedouins and their families, as well as Israeli airstrikes, as catalysts, and credited international mediation with helping to de-escalate the crisis.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar criticized al-Sharaa’s remarks, accusing him of supporting "jihadist attackers."
“Al-Sharaa spiced all this with conspiracy theories and accusations against Israel,” he added. “The bottom line is that in al-Sharaa’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.”
The speech of Syrian President Ahmed al-Shara was a display of support for the jihadists attackers (in al-Shara’s words: “The Bedouin tribes as a symbol of noble values and principles”) and blaming the victims (the attacked Druze minority).Al-Shara spiced all this with…
— Gideon Sa'ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) July 19, 2025
Separately, the Druze leadership, headed by Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, confirmed the truce in a statement following talks mediated by international guarantors, stressing that any party that violates the agreement would bear “full responsibility” for the collapse of the understandings.
The leadership also called on the youth of Suwayda to act responsibly and work in coordination to end the "ordeal that has affected our peaceful communities."
The agreement includes several key provisions: deployment of security forces outside Suwayda’s administrative boundaries, a 48-hour freeze on factional movement, and safe passage for remaining Bedouin civilians.
Enforcement began Saturday morning, with Syrian public security forces entering Suwayda, according to the Interior Ministry. The Presidency also urged all parties to uphold the ceasefire and “support efforts to stabilize the region.”
Clashes between Druze armed factions and Bedouin tribes had rapidly intensified after initial truce efforts failed, resulting in at least 718 deaths, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Dea*th toll update | 718 people ki*lled since beginning of escalation in Al-Suwaidaa, while tribal forces continue advancement amid fierce clashes#SOHRhttps://t.co/AxTHeZHhR0
— المرصد السوري لحقوق الإنسان (@syriahr) July 18, 2025
