Middle East: Truce between warring factions in Sweida holds – DW – 07/20/2025

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5 days ago

An agreement between Druze and Bedouin groups to stop fighting in Syria's southern province of Sweida appeared to be holding as of Sunday morning. Bedouin fighters also said they had left Sweida. DW has the latest.We've resumed coverage with news that the ceasefire agreement between Druze groups and Bedouin tribes appeared to be holding (see below).
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor, said that "Sweida has been experiencing a cautious calm" since midnight.
The report said that Syrian government security forces had blocked roads leading to the province in order to prevent tribal fighters from entering Sweida.
After more than a week of clashes between Bedouin and Druze groups in Sweida, the Bedouin clans announced that they were withdrawing from the city.
Druze-majority Sweida province has also been hit by Israeli strikes in recent days, with Israel attacking government forces who had tacitly supported the Bedouins.
Although Interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa has been more closely allied with the Bedouins, he urged them to lay down their arms, saying that paramilitaries "cannot replaced the role of the state in handling the country's affairs and restoring security."
"We thank the Bedouins for their heroic stances but demand they fully commit to the ceasefire and comply with the state's orders," he added.
The truce between the two groups was partly brokered by the United States, which dropped several of its sanctions against Syria in June following the ouster of strongman Bashar Assad.
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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called on the interim Syrian government to "prevent ISIS and any other violent jihadists from … carrying out massacres" in the conflict-stricken south of the country.
"The rape and slaughter of innocent people which has and is still occurring must end," he wrote on his personal account on X.
"If authorities in Damascus want to preserve any chance of achieving a unified, inclusive and peaceful Syria free of ISIS and of Iranian control, they must help end this calamity by using their security forces."
Rubio also demanded that the new Islamist-led regime in Damascus hold to account "anyone guilty of atrocities including those in their own ranks" and called for fighting between Druze and Bedouin groups in Sweida to stop.
Syrian government forces returned to the region on Saturday after withdrawing earlier in the week.
After the new German government resumed deportations to Afghanistan this week, Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has floated a similar approach for Syria – despite the current unrest in the war-torn country.
"It's possible that, in future, Syrians who have committed criminal offenses [could be] deported," he told the newspaper. "I think that's possible in principle – provided the country develops in [the right] direction."
Southern Syria has been rocked by violence again this week, with the new Islamist-led regime in Damascus struggling to prevent clashes between Druze and Bedouin factions in Sweida and powerless to stop Israeli intervention. Hundreds of people have reportedly been killed.
"We are watching Syria with concern," said Wadephul, calling on the interim government under Ahmed al-Sharaa to ensure that all sections of the population and all religious groups can co-exist.
"No-one should have to fear for life and limb," he said. "But as it stands, we are of the opinion that we have to give this interim government a chance."
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee on Saturday visited Taybeh, the Palestinian Christian village in the occupied West Bank whose residents accuse Israeli settlers of torching a church there on July 9.
A staunch Israel supporter, Huckabee struck a rare critical tone, going as far as calling the desecration of a place of worship, in that case the Church of St. George in Taybeh, an "act of terror."
Huckabee, who is an evangelical Christian, stressed that "desecrating a church, mosque or synagogue is a crime against humanity and God."
He said that Taybeh was home to many American citizens.
"I work for ALL American citizens who live in Israel-Jewish, Muslim or Christian," Huckabee said on X. "When they are terrorized or victims of crime I will demand those responsible be held accountable [with] real consequences."
Syria's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa has urged Sunni Muslim Bedouin tribes to "fully commit" to a ceasefire aimed at ending deadly clashes with Druze-aligned militias that have killed hundreds and threatened the country's fragile post-war transition.
His call came Saturday as government forces, initially sent to restore order but seen siding with Bedouin fighters, were redeployed to contain renewed fighting that flared late Thursday. The violence also triggered Israeli airstrikes on Syrian government positions before a truce was reached.
In his second televised address since the unrest began, al-Sharaa accused "armed groups from Sweida" of reigniting the conflict by "launching retaliatory attacks against the Bedouins and their families."
He also warned that Israeli intervention had "pushed the country into a dangerous phase that threatened its stability."
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz accused Sharaa of siding with the perpetrators.
"In al-Sharaa's Syria, it is very dangerous to be a member of a minority — Kurd, Druze, Alawite, or Christian," Katz posted on X. "This has been proven time and again over the past six months."
The Vatican has voiced skepticism over Israeli claims that a deadly strike on a Catholic church in Gaza was accidental.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's secretary of state and second only to the pope, made the remarks in a televised interview on Italy's Rai network.
Parolin demanded full clarification from Israel following Thursday's shelling of the Church of the Holy Family in Gaza City, which killed three people and injured nine others — including the local Italian priest. The church had been sheltering around 600 displaced people, according to Palestinian sources.
Parolin said it was reasonable to doubt that the attack was merely a military mistake.
His remarks came after a phone call between Pope Leo XIV and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who had earlier expressed "deep regret."
Parolin stressed that the Vatican is not satisfied with Israel's explanation so far.
"We should give them the time necessary to tell us what actually happened: Whether it was really a mistake, which can be rightfully doubted, or whether it was the intention to target a Christian church, knowing how much Christians are an element of moderation in the Middle East," he said.
Roughly 1,000 Christians live in the Gaza Strip, which is home to more than 2 million people. The Church of the Holy Family is Gaza's only Catholic church.
Syria's Islamist-led government has deployed security forces to the southern city of Sweida and called for an end to days of deadly factional fighting.
The presidency announced a nationwide ceasefire on Saturday, urging all sides to halt hostilities. The move comes after nearly a week of violence in Sweida province, where clashes between Druze factions and Bedouin fighters have left hundreds dead, according to local sources.
The Interior Ministry confirmed that internal security forces had begun operations in the area.
In a separate address, interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa said mediation by "Arab and American" actors had helped calm tensions. He also condemned Israel for recent airstrikes targeting Syrian government positions in the south and in Damascus.
Israel has said its strikes aimed to protect the Druze minority, which has a large presence in Israel and in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
Sharaa warned that Syria would not become a "testing ground for partition, secession, or sectarian incitement."
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Israeli troops have opened fire on Palestinians gathering near food distribution sites in southern Gaza, killing at least 32 people, according to witnesses and hospital officials.
The deadly shootings occurred Saturday near facilities run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a controversial aid group backed by the US and Israel.
The DPA news agency reported that at least 37 people were killed. The deaths were reported to have been near two aid hubs.
At one site in the Khan Younis area, about 100 were wounded by gunfire and shelling and brought to Nasser Hospital from the nearby al-Tina district.
Hospital staff warned that the death toll could rise due to the severity of many injuries.
The Israeli military said it was investigating the incident in response to media inquiries.
The GHF began operations in late May after a prolonged Israeli blockade of aid. Supported by both Israel and the US, the foundation has drawn criticism from the United Nations for running too few centers and putting civilians at risk.
According to the UN, hundreds of people have died near aid convoys and distribution hubs in Gaza since the end of May.
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Unrest in Syria continued on Saturday following increased tensions based around the region of Sweida in the south where Druze and Bedouin factions have been fighting.
The deployment of Syrian forces during the week resulted in Israel launching strikes on Syria, including in the capital Damascus.
US, Arab and Turkish support brought about a ceasefire between Syria and Damascus.
At the same time, the situation in Gaza remains dire with many desparate for aid, but with Israel only allowing aid centers to be operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), an aid group backed by Israel and the United States.
There have been numerous reports of Palestinians being killed as they gather to receive aid since the GHF started operating in the enclave.
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