The Syrian presidency has announced the deployment of a new security force to southern Syria in a bid to halt escalating sectarian violence between Druze and Bedouin communities near the city of Sweida, where nearly 600 people have reportedly been killed since fighting erupted on Sunday.
In a statement issued Friday, the office of interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa urged “all parties to exercise restraint” amid growing international concern and regional unrest. The move follows mounting accusations from local residents that Syrian government troops stationed in Sweida province were involved in extrajudicial executions and the killing of Druze civilians—allegations that triggered Israeli airstrikes on Syrian military positions in the region.
Shortly before Damascus announced its new deployment, an Israeli official confirmed that Israel had agreed to a 48-hour window allowing limited deployment of Syria’s Internal Security Forces in Sweida to protect Druze civilians. The arrangement, the official said, reflects the province’s urgent humanitarian and security needs.
Meanwhile, U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack said in a post on X that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Sharaa had reached an informal ceasefire agreement, with backing from regional neighbors Turkey and Jordan.
“We call upon Druze, Bedouins, and Sunnis to put down their weapons and, together with other minorities, build a new and united Syrian identity in peace and prosperity with its neighbors,” Barrack wrote.
Neither the Syrian nor Israeli governments have publicly confirmed the ceasefire.
Sweida, a largely Druze province, has remained uneasy under Damascus’ control. The Druze—a secretive religious group with roots in Shia Islam—have long harbored distrust toward Syria’s jihadist-influenced interim government. They also constitute minority populations in Lebanon and Israel.
Reports suggest that violence targeting Druze communities is spreading beyond Sweida to other regions, raising alarm among international observers. Earlier this week, UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk said his office had received credible accounts of serious human rights violations in Sweida, including summary executions and arbitrary killings allegedly committed by state forces, affiliated militias, and local armed groups from both Druze and Bedouin factions.
“This bloodshed and violence must stop,” Türk said. “Those responsible must be held to account.”
In a televised address on Thursday, President Sharaa reaffirmed the government’s commitment to protecting the Druze community and pledged to prosecute those responsible for attacks.
“We are eager to hold accountable those who transgressed and abused our Druze people, because they are under the protection and responsibility of the state,” he said.
Sharaa also blamed the continued violence on “outlaw groups” who, he claimed, have rejected calls for dialogue over many months.
As the situation in Sweida remains volatile, pressure is mounting on both Damascus and regional actors to enforce a lasting ceasefire and prevent further sectarian escalation in a country already fractured by years of civil war.
