Violence Flares in Syria: Israeli Attacks, Sectarian Clashes, and Fragile Truce

The United States announced late Thursday that all parties involved in the Syrian conflict had agreed to take “specific steps” to halt the violence, with hopes of de-escalation beginning “tonight.” The statement came hours after Israeli airstrikes hit Damascus, killing at least three people. Syria has acknowledged and welcomed international efforts to stabilize the situation, though Israel has made no public comment.

Israel said it targeted a military facility near Syria’s presidential palace, as well as a separate command post. Syria, however, labeled the strikes a “flagrant assault,” accusing Israel of deliberately escalating tensions. The attack followed a string of Israeli air raids on the Suwayda region in southwest Syria, an area predominantly inhabited by the Druze minority.

Israel claims its actions are aimed at protecting the Druze community amid growing sectarian violence. Nonetheless, analysts and regional leaders argue that the strikes have both political and military objectives. The recent Israeli assault on Gaza, which killed 56 people in one day, including dozens reportedly seeking aid, has added to the pressure on Israel internationally. The Israeli military also confirmed it had mistakenly targeted Gaza’s only Catholic church, killing three, prompting a rare statement of regret following sharp global criticism.

At the diplomatic level, tensions have continued to rise. The foreign ministers of eleven Arab and regional countries - including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, and Lebanon - condemned the Israeli attacks on Syria, calling them a violation of international law. UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ office confirmed that Israel had declined to renew visas for several UN agency heads working in Gaza.

According to Axios, a potential ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel is being mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States. Optimism around that process remains cautious.

Back in Syria, the situation in Suwayda remains volatile. Clashes erupted between Druze factions and Bedouin tribal forces, escalating into a full-scale confrontation. Bedouin fighters told Reuters that a recent ceasefire - brokered by President Ahmed al-Sharaa - did not apply to them and vowed to continue their operations, citing the detention of Bedouins by Druze militias.

Fighting intensified in the western countryside of Suwayda, as tribal reinforcements reportedly began arriving from Idlib to back the Bedouins. The Syrian state news agency SANA reported further Israeli strikes in the Suwayda region, though these accounts remain unverified. President al-Sharaa, addressing the nation early Thursday, said that safeguarding Druze citizens and ending sectarian unrest in the south were top priorities. He announced that local Druze elders and community factions would take over responsibility for security in the region.

Al-Sharaa emphasized that the government considered the Druze a vital part of Syria’s social fabric and denounced any attempt, foreign or domestic, to divide the country. He directly accused Israel of stoking chaos since the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad and warned that the situation could have spiraled into broader conflict if not for last-minute mediation efforts by the US, Turkey, and Arab states. The strikes in Damascus on Wednesday, which killed three and injured 34, were cited as a tipping point.

Reports from Suwayda described the current state as a "tense calm." Syrian army units were seen withdrawing overnight as part of the new ceasefire arrangement between the government and Druze leader Sheikh Yousef Jarbou. Jarbou endorsed the ceasefire and condemned Israel’s attacks, framing them as assaults on both the state and the Druze community. However, another powerful Druze cleric, Sheikh Hikmat al-Hajari, rejected the deal and called for continued resistance. His current whereabouts are unknown.

Al-Sharaa, in his address, also warned against Israeli attempts to exploit internal divisions. He said that the “Israeli entity” was once again trying to destabilize Syria and turn it into a perpetual war zone. The president urged national unity, appealing to all citizens to put collective interests above personal agendas. He reaffirmed that any aggressor against the Druze would be held accountable by the state.

The US, which has shifted its tone towards Syria in recent months, is increasingly positioning itself as a mediator. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Donald Trump is committed to Syria’s path toward peace and prosperity. Department of State spokesperson Tammy Bruce described the recent escalation as “a misunderstanding between new neighbours,” while calling on Syria to withdraw forces from the southern border.

The international backlash against Israel has intensified. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called Israel a “greedy terrorist state” and warned that its actions in Syria threatened the region’s stability. Slovenia has declared two Israeli ministers - Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich - persona non grata over incitement to violence. In the UK, over 80 lawmakers have called for comprehensive sanctions against Israel.

Meanwhile, on the ground, the violence in southern Syria has been deadly. Local reports say at least 169 people have died in recent days, while the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights places the figure at over 360. Earlier ceasefire efforts had tried to integrate Druze fighters into the newly established Syrian administration following al-Assad’s ousting. But abuses reportedly committed by Syrian forces in Suwayda gave Israel a pretext to intervene militarily.

The Druze militias, which have operated independently since Syria’s civil war, now face an uncertain future. The Israeli government has demanded a full Syrian military withdrawal from the southern border and continues to press for a demilitarized zone in the area. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would enforce its two “red lines”: the protection of Syria’s Druze population and the complete demilitarization of areas south of Damascus.