US Envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack has announced that Israel and Syria had agreed to a ceasefire following Israel’s intervention this week in fighting between Syrian government forces and rival armed groups.
Barrack said in a statement posted on social platform X that the new ceasefire between Israel and Syria was supported by Turkey, Jordan and other neighboring countries.
He also called for Druze, Bedouins, and Sunnis to “put down their weapons and together with other minorities build a new and united Syrian identity in peace and prosperity with its neighbors.”
The announcement came as renewed clashes erupted between Druze groups and Bedouin clans and Syria’s President, Ahmed Al-Sharaa said that he would send troops back in to quell the fighting, which has left tens of thousands of people displaced in a worsening humanitarian crisis.
Clashes began on Sunday, July 13, 2025, between Druze militias and local Sunni Muslim Bedouin tribes in Syria’s southern Suwayda province.
Government forces intervened, nominally to restore order, but ended up taking the Bedouins’ side against the Druze. Israel intervened in defense of the Druze, launching dozens of airstrikes on convoys of government fighters.
On Wednesday, Israel launched heavy air strikes targeting Syria’s Ministry of Defence in the heart of Damascus, and also hit Syrian government forces in the country’s Suwayda region.
Israel claims that it launched attacks to protect Syria’s Druze minority in Suwayda, where ethnically charged clashes between Druze and Bedouin armed groups and government forces have reportedly left hundreds dead.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights said that it had documented 321 deaths in fighting since Sunday, among them medical personnel, women and children.
It said that they included field executions by all sides. Syria’s Minister for emergencies disclosed that more than 500 wounded had been treated and hundreds of families had been evacuated out of the city.
A ceasefire agreement mediated by the US, Turkiye and Arab countries was reached between Druze leaders and the Syrian government on Wednesday.
Israel, however, launched air strikes on Syria the same day, killing at least three people and wounding 34 others.
Following the Israeli attacks, Syrian interim President, Ahmed al-Sharaa said in a televised speech early on Thursday that protecting the country’s Druze citizens and their rights was a priority, and though Syria would prefer to avoid a conflict with Israel, it was not afraid of war. Al-Sharaa added that Syria would overcome attempts by Israel to tear the country apart through its aggression.
Heavy fighting again flared up between the Druze and Bedouin tribes in Suwayda on Friday, and Damascus has redeployed a dedicated force to restore calm in the Druze-majority governorate.
Nearly 80,000 People Displaced
The United Nations’ migration agency said on Friday that nearly 80,000 people had been displaced altogether since clashes started on Sunday.
It also noted that essential services, including water and electricity, have collapsed in Suwayda, telecommunications systems are widely disrupted, and health facilities in Suwayda and Daraa are under severe strain.
The United Nations has been unable to bring in much-needed humanitarian and medical aid because of ongoing clashes.
Adam Abdelmoula, UN Resident and Humanitarian Affairs Coordinator in Syria, said in a statement that there “are severe disruptions to supply routes, with insecurity and road closures blocking aid deliveries.”
He added that the World Health Organization was able to send trauma care supplies to Daraa province, but Suwayda remains inaccessible.
“Once conditions allow, we are planning to send a mission to assess needs and provide critical aid, in full coordination with authorities.”
Adam Abdelmoula
Israel’s deep distrust of Syria’s new Islamist-led leadership appears to be at odds with the United States, which said it did not support the recent Israeli strikes on Syria.
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