Israel launches raids and carries out an air strike in southern Syria amid violence between local factions
Southern Syria is experiencing a new outbreak of violence. It all began after an incident of looting on the Damascus-Sweida road against a merchant from the Druze-majority governorate, followed by mutual kidnappings of people from the governorate and Bedouin clans. However, the violence had been brewing since Friday after a wave of kidnappings on the same road.
Israel has moved into the southern Druze city of Sweida in Syria. This comes after the Syrian army and internal security forces entered the city early on Tuesday and imposed a curfew following clashes between local Druze and Bedouin clans. This is the first action taken by government forces since the overthrow of Bashar Al-Assad and the takeover of the transitional government last December.
Although Syrian Defence Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra has announced a ceasefire in the city and the preparation of the withdrawal of internal security forces, this comes after bloody clashes that claimed the lives of dozens and left 200 wounded, according to a preliminary statement from the Syrian Interior Ministry. The country's authorities are continuing to make strenuous efforts to contain the tension and promote dialogue. Likewise, the spiritual leadership of the Druze community, represented by Sheikh Hikmat Al-Hajri, condemned the attacks, called for an end to the fighting and a return to dialogue, while asserting the rights of his people and their right to self-defence in the face of violations of their dignity.
Meanwhile, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz stated that the Druze living in Syria would not be harmed and on Monday Syrian tanks were attacked as a warning to the regime, despite the Syrian Foreign Ministry's call on countries to respect Syria's sovereignty and refrain from supporting rebel groups, stressing that the Druze community would continue to be protected. Similarly, dozens of Israelis proceeded to mobilise in Syria through the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, and the Israeli army carried out incursions into the south of the country with orders to attack Syrian forces and weapons, an area that already presents a complex situation due to Israeli interference in the territory's politics and its demands that the provinces form part of a demilitarised zone. The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) has also stated that the Israeli army carried out an air strike on Sweida, resulting in the loss of life of several members of the Syrian army and security forces, as well as civilians.
The joint statement by the Israeli Ministry of Defence and the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu proclaimed that the attack was in response to Syrian mobilisation and deployment in the south of the country, which constitutes a violation of the agreement between the two countries and threatens the security of the State of Israel. In response, Syria affirmed its commitment to its legitimate right to preserve its territory by all means guaranteed by international law.
The US envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, said that the recent clashes are cause for concern and that Washington is communicating to achieve calm and integration that takes into account the interests of the Druze, Bedouin tribes, the Syrian government and Israeli forces. In addition, the US administration asked Israel to halt its attacks on Syria.
The United Nations Commission of Inquiry on Syria on Tuesday expressed its concern and the need for de-escalation and protection of civilians, stressing that it is the Syrian interim government that has the responsibility to act to ensure that citizens are respected and protected. The Commission expressed its concern about reports of Israeli attacks, explaining that third-party intervention could lead to the expansion of the conflict in the region.
This is not the first time that Sweida has witnessed such clashes, as it experienced periods of tension between Druze armed groups and other armed factions in April and May, which were contained through local agreements. Since the new takeover, efforts have been made to integrate minority factions such as the Druze and Kurds, but this task has not been easy. This escalation shows that efforts must be made to address the roots of the crisis and not proceed with another superficial agreement that does not result in comprehensive and lasting peace.
