Syrian President Announces ‘Immediate Ceasefire’ Halting Latest Sectarian Violence

Syria’s interim president says an “immediate ceasefire” is in place after a week of deadly sectarian violence in the south of his country.President Ahmad al-Sharaa on Saturday urged Sunni Muslim Bedouin tribes to “fully commit” to ending clashes with Druze-linked militias in Sweida. Hundreds of people have died in four days of fighting.“This moment requires unity of ranks and complete cooperation in order to overcome what we are all going through,” Mr. al-Sharaa said in a televised address on Saturday. He added “American and Arab mediations stepped in” to end the fighting.Mr. Al-Sharaa says government forces will be redeployed to Sweida and will protect minorities from further violence. The ceasefire remains tenuous, with the BBC citing unverified reports of tribal fighters already violating the agreement. U.S. special envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, announced hours earlier that Israel and Syria had agreed to a ceasefire, although Israel has not commented on any agreement.Mr. Barrack thanked Jordan for playing a critical leadership role and helping make “positive steps to support a unified, stable Syria at peace with its neighbors” in a posting on X.The violence was sparked on July 13 by an incursion from militants aligned with Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, Syria’s ruling Islamist party. The Syrian army was sent in under the guise of ending fighting but ended up allegedly coordinating with the militias to attack the minority Druze and loot their homes.That brought military airstrikes from Israel to protect the Druze including strikes on Damascus. The Druze are a tight-knit religious community living on both sides of the border and with long-standing ties to Israel, including serving in the Israeli military.Israel’s foreign minister remains skeptical about a pledge by Mr. al-Sharaa to protect minorities.“In al-Shara’s Syria, it is very dangerous to be a member of a minority – Kurd, Druze, Alawite, or Christian,” Gideon Aar said in a Saturday X post. “This has been proven time and again over the past six months.” He said the international community has a duty to ensure the security and rights of the minorities in Syria and “condition Syria’s renewed acceptance into the family of nations on their protection.”The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which has monitored the violence says that the death toll from the fighting has risen to 940, including 182 Druze civilians who were “summarily executed” by government forces, the Times of Israel reported.

Syrian President Announces ‘Immediate Ceasefire’ Halting Latest Sectarian Violence

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