57 aid and human rights groups call for end to fighting in Suwayda, Syria

SUWAYDA, Syria — Gunfire and clashes continue to erupt intermittently across Suwayda, Syria, and the surrounding countryside, shattering the uneasy calm that hangs over streets littered with the bodies of civilians and soldiers alike. According to recent reports, more than 1,200 people have been killed since the violence began.

The ongoing bloodshed has triggered alarm among human rights and humanitarian organizations both within Syria and abroad. A joint statement issued by 57 groups — including the Syriac Cross Organization for Relief and Development and the Assyrian Society for Helping and Development — expressed deep concern over the intensifying violence in the Druze-majority province in southern Syria. The groups warned that the conflict has been accompanied by grave human rights violations and has resulted in dozens of deaths and injuries.

The statement referenced credible and disturbing reports of extrajudicial killings, torture, sectarian abuse, and the looting and burning of homes. It also highlighted recent Israeli airstrikes that reportedly killed and injured several members of military forces aligned with the Damascus government.

The organizations emphasized that the violence in Suwayda and other retaliatory attacks across Syria, often marked by sectarian overtones, are part of a worrying pattern that is deepening social divisions. They cited the deadly church bombing in Daramsuq’s (Damascus) Douilieh district, attacks in Jaramana, Sahnaya, and Ashrafiyat Sahnaya, and incidents in Syria’s coastal areas — all of which resulted in the martyrdom, deaths and injuries of hundreds of people.

In a sharply worded condemnation, the groups said they had been awaiting the findings of a long-promised investigation into the March 2025 events on the coast, only to witness a repeat of similar abuses in Suwayda — many reportedly carried out by the same perpetrators. Video evidence from the scene, some of it released by the alleged violators themselves, was cited as proof.

The organizations warned of the potential for the violence and abuses to spread to other regions and communities, including North and East Syria. They called on the Syrian government to launch an immediate and serious investigation into all acts of violence, torture, and abuse in Suwayda, regardless of the perpetrating side, and to bring those responsible to justice through transparent and impartial public trials.

They also urged the Syrian government to cease hostilities immediately, engage in meaningful dialogue with all components of Syrian society, and ensure inclusive participation in the country’s political transition process — without exclusion or discrimination. The statement also called for UN agencies and international investigators to be granted access to Suwayda to independently examine the alleged violations and reassess the path of transitional justice in Syria, including recognizing the rights of victims from all sides, both before and after the fall of the Syrian regime. 

The groups appealed to the European Union, the United States, and the broader international community to pressure the Syrian government to halt human rights violations, protect all Syrians, end sectarian violence, and support an inclusive and transparent transition process. 

Finally, the statement urged the UN Security Council to convene an emergency session to address the recent violence in Syria, reaffirm its commitment to protecting all Syrian communities, prevent actions that could fuel sectarian tensions, and promote universal justice and accountability. It also called on the international body to pressure Israel to halt its attacks on Syrian territory and to oppose all forms of foreign interference in Syria.