There are major developments are unfolding in southern Syria, where tensions between the Assad regime and the Druze community have reached a critical turning point. A new ceasefire agreement has been reached—and the Syrian government is reportedly preparing to pull its forces out of the predominantly Druze province of Suwayda.
The ceasefire, announced late Wednesday, follows days of renewed clashes between Syrian troops and local Druze fighters. According to Sheikh Yousef Jarbou, a senior Druze religious leader, the agreement will take immediate effect. His statement was broadcast on Syrian state television.
This comes after a previous truce collapsed within hours on Tuesday night. Despite the initial ceasefire announcement, government forces continued firing in Suwayda, eyewitnesses told Reuters. Syria’s state-run news agency, SANA, confirmed the new ceasefire deal and reported that military checkpoints have been positioned throughout the city.
Meanwhile, Israel has entered the fray. The Israel Defense Forces confirmed that it struck the entrance to the Syrian military’s headquarters complex in Damascus early Wednesday, followed by a second strike near the Presidential Palace later in the day. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was forced to cut short a hearing in Jerusalem as the attacks were underway.
Israeli drones reportedly also carried out strikes in Suwayda, where clashes between Druze fighters and Syrian regime forces have intensified. The Israel Defense Forces say they are reinforcing troop deployments along the Syrian border in response to ongoing violence against Druze civilians.
Suwayda remains a stronghold of the Druze community, though it is also home to smaller Christian and Muslim populations. Over the weekend, the city saw violent clashes not just between Druze and regime forces, but also between Druze fighters and local Bedouin Sunni tribes.
On Monday, Israeli forces targeted several Syrian regime tanks as they advanced toward Suwayda. Government troops reportedly seized at least one Druze village in the fighting.
Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a stark warning to Damascus: withdraw your forces from Suwayda—or face escalating Israeli military action. “We will not allow the terrorist regime in Syria to harm the Druze,” said Katz, echoing a joint statement with Prime Minister Netanyahu.
The two Israeli leaders reaffirmed their commitment to protecting the Druze population—both in Israel and across the border in Syria. “Our Druze brothers are part of the fabric of Israeli society,” the statement read. “And we will take all necessary steps to prevent harm to their families in Syria.”
As ceasefire efforts hang in the balance and Israel signals its readiness to act, the situation in Suwayda remains volatile. Syrian forces may soon retreat, but whether the ceasefire holds, and whether regional tensions will calm, remains to be seen.
We will keep monitoring developments as they unfold.
Reporting by Carl Montel.
