ALWAGHT- Following days of heavy Israeli airstrikes in Syria’s Suwayda region, US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack confirmed that Israel and Syria have agreed to a ceasefire.
US Ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barrack, announced a ceasefire agreement between Syria and Israel on Saturday, stating it was supported by Washington and welcomed by regional countries including Turkey and Jordan. He urged Syria’s diverse communities—Druze, Bedouins, Sunnis, and other minorities—to lay down arms and work toward a unified national identity. The HTS-led regime also declared an immediate ceasefire, calling on all parties to respect the truce.
The announcement comes amid intense internal conflict in Syria’s Suwayda region, where clashes between HTS regime forces, Bedouin tribes, and Druze groups have escalated into a humanitarian crisis, displacing tens of thousands. Israeli airstrikes on Wednesday targeted Syria’s Ministry of Defense in Damascus and HTS forces in Suwayda, killing at least three people and injuring dozens. Israel claimed the attacks were aimed at protecting the Druze minority amid ethnically driven violence.
Despite the ceasefire agreement—brokered with help from the US, Turkey, and Arab nations—some Bedouin armed factions have rejected the truce, citing fears of forced normalization with Israel. Fighting reportedly continues between Bedouin groups and HTS forces in the outskirts of Suwayda, particularly in the villages of Al-Mtoneh and Lahitheh. Meanwhile, HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani warned Israel against escalation but emphasized a desire to avoid war.
