Sectarian Clashes and Foreign Airstrikes Push Syria’s South to the Brink
SUWAYDA — Sectarian violence continued to rage across Syria’s southern province of Suwayda on Saturday, challenging a fragile ceasefire brokered by the United States, Israel, and regional powers. The latest clashes between Druze factions and Bedouin tribal fighters have pushed the country into one of its bloodiest escalations since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime late last year.
Suwayda, a traditionally quiet and Druze-majority province bordering Jordan and Israel, has become the focal point of a spiraling conflict that has claimed hundreds of lives in less than a week. Machine gun fire and mortar shells echoed through Suwayda city and surrounding villages as government forces attempted to reassert control — despite growing distrust from local communities and the intervention of foreign powers.
After intense fighting erupted on July 13, a ceasefire was negotiated midweek by U.S. envoy Tom Barrack with support from Turkey, Jordan, and Israel. Under the agreement, Syrian government forces were to partially withdraw and allow local Druze-led security committees to assume responsibility for the region’s stability.
But by Saturday, gunfire had resumed, with witnesses reporting shelling in several areas, including the villages of Al-Kafr and Qanawat. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said the death toll from the fighting had reached at least 940, including civilians, fighters, and medical personnel. Reuters could not independently verify the number.
The Syrian interior ministry said by late Saturday that Suwayda city had been “cleared” of Bedouin fighters and claimed that peace had been restored following a new deployment of internal security units. However, field reports indicated that thousands of Bedouin fighters continued to pour into the province from the eastern deserts, reigniting fears of further escalation.
تنفيذاً لبنود الاتفاق، بدأت قوات الأمن الداخلي انتشارها في قرية المزرعة بريف السويداء الغربي#الجمهورية_العربية_السورية #وزارة_الداخلية pic.twitter.com/KfcrQRDUvs
— وزارة الداخلية السورية (@syrianmoi) July 19, 2025
Suwayda’s main hospital was overwhelmed with casualties, local doctors said. “All the injuries are from bombs — chest wounds, limbs shredded by shrapnel,” Dr. Omar Obeid told SyriacPress, the hospital’s director. Electricity, fuel, and food supplies have been cut off for days. “There’s nothing at all,” said Yasser Shenan, a 28-year-old resident of the city. “We’re surrounded, and there’s no safe way out.”
A Local Conflict Becomes Geopolitical
What began as a local feud between Druze defense units and Bedouin tribal factions has quickly become a flashpoint in the broader struggle over Syria’s future. Israel, citing its responsibility to protect Druze communities, launched airstrikes this week on government installations in Damascus and southern Syria — including a strike on the Ministry of Defense near the presidential palace.
Though Israeli officials claim their actions are defensive, Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa accused Israel of exacerbating sectarian tensions. “The Israeli intervention pushed the country into a dangerous phase that threatens national unity,” he said in a televised address, warning against turning Syria into a “testing ground for partition and sectarian incitement.”
The U.S., which supports al-Sharaa’s Islamist-led Syrian Government, has walked a careful line. While welcoming the ceasefire, Washington distanced itself from the Israeli strikes. “We urge restraint by all parties and immediate humanitarian access,” U.S. officials said.
Israel, by contrast, has been blunt in its criticism of Syria’s post-Assad leadership. “In al-Sharaa’s Syria, it is very dangerous to be a member of a minority — Kurd, Druze, Alawite, or Christian,” said Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar in a statement.
The speech of Syrian President Ahmed al-Shara was a display of support for the jihadists attackers (in al-Shara’s words: “The Bedouin tribes as a symbol of noble values and principles”) and blaming the victims (the attacked Druze minority).
Al-Shara spiced all this with…— Gideon Sa’ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) July 19, 2025
The fighting has also sparked anger among activists and ordinary Syrians demanding a peaceful resolution. On July 17, a silent vigil in front of the Syrian Parliament in Damascus — part of a campaign titled “Today and Every Day: Syrian Blood Is Sacred” — was violently disrupted by suspected pro-government tribal supporters.
Journalist Zeina Shahla, who participated in the vigil, described being verbally and physically assaulted. “One of them hit me with a stick, then slapped me across the face,” she wrote in a public post. “We were called traitors — accused of being agents.” Despite the attacks, organizers have vowed to continue their peaceful demonstrations.
Meanwhile, humanitarian conditions are deteriorating rapidly. The UN refugee agency and Red Cross have appealed for safe passage to deliver aid to the region, but convoys remain stalled. “Without immediate access, Suwayda could face a full-blown humanitarian crisis within days,” warned the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
A Nation in Freefall
President al-Sharaa, once hailed for opening Syria to international engagement after years of isolation, now faces his most serious internal challenge. As foreign actors jostle for influence and sectarian lines harden, the promise of a unified, post-conflict Syria appears increasingly fragile.
Tom Barrack, the U.S. envoy, remains hopeful. “We call upon Druze, Bedouins, and Sunnis — together with all other minorities — to build a new and united Syrian identity,” he posted on X.
But on the ground, optimism is scarce. For many civilians caught in the crossfire, the questions are no longer about who governs Syria, but whether anyone will protect it.
Amman, July 19, 2025 – Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Safadi, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani, and U.S. Special Envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack held a trilateral meeting today to discuss the situation in Syria and efforts to stabilize the… pic.twitter.com/6lqTQUd4RB
— Ambassador Tom Barrack (@USAMBTurkiye) July 19, 2025