Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Syria’s transitional president Ahmed al-Sharaa have agreed on a ceasefire, US Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy for Syria, Thomas Barrack, said.
“Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa supported by the [US Secretary of State Marco] Rubio have agreed to a ceasefire embraced by Turkiye, Jordan and its neighbors. 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 on X.
A source in the Turkish Foreign Ministry told Sputnik that Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan had told Rubio over the phone that Ankara was ready to work with Washington to ensure Syria’s future and “end conflict and tensions permanently.”
Last week, armed Bedouin groups attacked several Druze settlements in Suwayda province, clashing with Druze self-defense forces. The Syrian Defense Ministry said that over 30 people had been killed and 100 others wounded in the clashes, including 20 troops loyal to the Syrian transitional government.
On Tuesday, the Syrian Defense Ministry said that the army and interior ministry deployed troops to Suwayda to clear the city of illegal armed factions. Later, they began withdrawing heavy military equipment from Suwayda toward Damascus, transferring residential areas under the control of internal security forces.
The Israeli government ordered an immediate military strike against Syrian forces. Israel said it acted out of concern for the Druze community of Syria, citing close ties with the Druze population within Israel and historic connections. (UNI)
