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The Israeli bombings travel aft the Syrian authorities and a Druze person some said the truce had been broken.
Published On 16 Jul 2025
Israeli forces person launched aerial strikes connected Suwayda successful confederate Syria, arsenic warring returned to the predominantly Druze metropolis hours aft the Syrian authorities declared a ceasefire.
The Syrian Ministry of Interior said successful a connection connected Tuesday that equipped groups had resumed attacks connected Syrian authorities forces with enactment from the Israeli Air Force.
Syria condemned Israel’s involution arsenic a usurpation of planetary law, portion influential Druze Sheikh Hikmat al-Hajri said successful a connection that it was Syrian authorities troops who breached a truce announced earlier successful the day.
The Israeli aerial attacks came aft Hikmat al-Hajri urged section fighters to face what helium described arsenic a barbaric onslaught from authorities forces.
Israel has claimed its attacks connected the confederate Syrian portion bordering Israel are meant to support the Druze minority, which it sees arsenic imaginable allies.
In a connection shared connected societal media, Israeli Minister of Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli said that Israel could not “stand idly by” arsenic the Druze engaged successful fighting.
“We spot massacres and insults against the Druze, and we indispensable combat against the coercion authorities successful Syria,” Chikli said, claiming it was a “grave mistake” to admit Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa arsenic the “legitimate leader” of the country.
Fighting betwixt Bedouin tribes and section Druze fighters has reportedly killed much than 30 radical and injured much than 100 since Sunday successful Suwayda. Bedouin and Druze equipped factions person a longstanding feud successful Suwayda, with unit occasionally erupting.
United States envoy to Syria Tom Barrack said Washington was successful interaction with each sides “to navigate towards calm and integration”.
Al Jazeera’s Osama Bin Javaid reporting from Damascus said that the concern successful Suwayda has “further escalated, with aggregate Israeli drone and aerial strikes they assertion are successful enactment of Druze fighters”.
Syrian authorities declared ‘complete ceasefire’
The latest developments travel hours aft Syrian Minister of Defence Murhaf Abu Qasra declared a truce successful a station connected societal media, saying: “To each units operating wrong the metropolis of Suwayda, we state a implicit ceasefire.”
Abu Qasra’s announcement came soon aft the ministry deployed authorities forces to halt the fighting betwixt Bedouin tribes and section fighters. The caller warring was the archetypal outbreak of deadly unit successful the country since warring betwixt members of the Druze assemblage and information forces killed dozens of people successful April and May.
Syria’s Druze colonisation numbers astir 700,000, with Suwayda being location to the sect’s largest community. The Druze spiritual sect is simply a number radical that originated arsenic a 10th-century offshoot of a subdivision of Shia Islam.
In Syria, the Druze chiefly reside successful the confederate Suwayda state and immoderate suburbs of Damascus, chiefly successful Jaramana and Ashrafiyat Sahnaya to the south. Since the overthrow of longtime Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad successful December, concerns person been raised implicit the rights and information of minorities nether the caller authorities, who person besides struggled to re-establish information much broadly.
In April, hundreds of Alawite civilians were killed successful evident retribution aft warring broke retired betwixt authorities forces and equipped groups loyal to al-Assad, who belongs to the Alawite spiritual sect.
Israel has launched hundreds of aerial strikes connected neighbouring Syria since December 2024, averaging 1 each 3 to 4 days.
The latest attacks travel arsenic the Netanyahu authorities continues to wage war connected Palestinians successful the Gaza Strip, sidesplitting astatine slightest 58,479 radical since October 2023.
As good arsenic Gaza and Syria, Israel has besides launched attacks connected the occupied West Bank, Lebanon, Iran and Yemen successful caller months.
Source:
Al Jazeera and quality agencies