Syria: Syria’s transitional government confirms ceasefire

After the bloody unrest in the south of the country, Syria’s transitional government has confirmed a ceasefire supported by the USA with Israel. In an explanation, the Syrian presidency called on all parties to the conflict to stop the fights immediately. Meanwhile, the government sent security forces to the southern province of Suwaida, which has been the scene of a brutal escalation of new violence for almost a week.

The US ambassador in Turkey and special envoys for Syria, Thomas Barrack, had previously announced the ceasefire between Syria and Israel. The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa would have agreed.

In a speech on Saturday, Al-Sharaa confirmed that they wanted to protect minorities in Syria. The situation is stabilized. He accused Israel of having overthrowed the country into a dangerous phase due to interventions and “undisguised bombing” that endanger Syria’s stability.

Israeli air strikes in Damascus

The new violence in the south of Syria broke out almost a week ago. There were fatal clashes between Drusian militias and Sunni-Muslim Bedouin tribes. Troops from the Syrian transitional government intervene. Dozens of Drusian civilians are said to have been executed by security forces. In response, Israel bombed government buildings in Damascus and convoys of the Syrian government army on the way to Suwaida.

The Drusen are a religious minority and live in Syria, Lebanon, Israel and Jordan. After the fall of Assad rule in December 2024 and years of the civil war, the situation in ethnically and religiously diverse Syria remains fragile.