Syria urges all parties to respect ceasefire in Druze region after hundreds left dead
Syria's Islamist-led government said its security forces were deploying in the predominantly Druze southern city of Sweida on Saturday, and urged all parties to respect a ceasefire after days of factional bloodshed that has left hundreds dead.
Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, in a separate speech, said "Arab and American" mediation had helped bring calm, and criticized Israel for airstrikes against Syrian government forces in the south and Damascus this week.
Sweida province has been engulfed by nearly a week of violence, which began with clashes between Bedouin fighters and Druze factions, before Damascus sent in government security forces.
Israel has carried out airstrikes in southern Syria and on the Defence Ministry in Damascus, saying it is protecting the Druze minority, of whom there are a significant number in Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
WATCH | Israeli strike on Syrian defence building captured on live TV this week:
Israeli strike on Syrian defence building captured on live TV
2 days ago
A TV news anchor in Syria was on air when an Israeli strike hit the Ministry of Defence in Damascus on Wednesday, badly damaging the building near the presidential palace.
In a statement on Saturday, the Syrian presidency announced an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire, and urged all parties to end hostilities immediately.
The Interior Ministry said internal security forces had begun deploying in Sweida.
Sharaa called for calm and said Syria would not be a "testing ground for partition, secession or sectarian incitement."
"The Israeli intervention pushed the country into a dangerous phase that threatened its stability," he said in a televised speech.
U.S. envoy Tom Barrack announced on Friday that Syria and Israel had agreed to a ceasefire supported by Turkey, Jordan and neighbours.
Barrack, who is both U.S. ambassador to Turkey and Washington's Syria envoy, urged Druze, Bedouins and Sunnis to put down their weapons "and together with other minorities build a new and united Syrian identity."
Israel has attacked Syrian military facilities and weaponry in the seven months since Sharaa's forces toppled President Bashar al-Assad, and says it wants areas of southern Syria near its border to remain demilitarized.
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Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Under the agreement, the Ivy League school will pay a $200-million settlement over three years, the university said. It will also pay $21 million to settle investigations brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. 'This agreement marks an important step forward after a period of sustained federal scrutiny and institutional uncertainty,' acting university president Claire Shipman said. The Trump administration pulled the funding, because of what it described as the university's failure to squelch antisemitism on campus during the Israel-Hamas war that began in October 2023. 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