The United States has announced a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Syria’s interim government, following a week of intense clashes in southern Syria that have killed hundreds and displaced tens of thousands. The violence, centred in the Druze-majority region of Sweida, erupted after a local kidnapping incident spiraled into tribal conflict.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, at least 638 people have been killed since fighting broke out on Sunday between Druze and Bedouin factions. The escalating crisis prompted Israel to conduct major airstrikes on Wednesday, including a rare attack on Syrian military headquarters in central Damascus.
U.S. Ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barrack, who has been serving as Washington’s pointman on Syria, said early Saturday that Israel and Syrian interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa had agreed to a ceasefire negotiated by the United States and backed by regional powers Turkey and Jordan.
“We call upon Druze, Bedouins and Sunnis to put down their weapons and build a united Syrian identity in peace and prosperity,” Barrack said on social media platform X.
The truce follows an earlier agreement announced by the U.S., under which Sharaa’s forces withdrew from Sweida in a bid to de-escalate tensions. However, Sharaa’s office later accused Druze factions of violating the ceasefire and pledged to deploy new troops to restore order in the south.
On Friday, renewed fighting erupted at Sweida’s entrance, with around 200 armed Bedouins clashing with Druze fighters using machine guns and artillery. The violence has overwhelmed the city’s health system. Omar Obeid, president of the local physicians’ order, said more than 400 bodies had been received by the Sweida National Hospital since Monday, with many others left in the streets due to lack of morgue space.
The UN’s International Organization for Migration reported that nearly 80,000 people have been displaced since Sunday, including more than 20,000 in a single day.
Tribal reinforcements have poured into Sweida from across Syria, intensifying the clashes. In Walgha village, northwest of Sweida, homes and shops were seen burning as Bedouin fighters gained control.
Israel, which has a significant Druze population, announced $600,000 in aid to the Druze community in Sweida, including food and medical supplies. While Israel cited humanitarian concerns, analysts suggest the strikes and aid may be aimed at further weakening Syria’s military, already reeling since Sharaa’s Sunni-led coalition ousted former President Bashar al-Assad in December.
UN human rights chief Volker Türk called for an immediate end to the violence and demanded “independent, prompt and transparent investigations” into the events. The Red Cross also warned of a critical humanitarian crisis, as hospitals struggle to operate without power and essential supplies.
The fighting was reportedly sparked by the abduction of a Druze merchant by Bedouins, triggering retaliatory kidnappings and escalating into the deadliest intercommunal violence in the region in years.
