Syrian internal security forces have begun an operation to evacuate hostages from the city of As Suwayda, where, according to the authorities, Bedouin families have been held for several days.
According to the head of the provincial interior ministry, General Ahmed al-Dalati, about 1,500 people were taken out of the city in the first phase. He also said that the evacuation is going through a checkpoint in Bosra al-Harir, and the injured are being taken to the province of Deraa.
Al-Dalati stressed the importance of the parties’ compliance with the ceasefire in the region and called for support for the authorities’ efforts to stabilise the situation. He expressed confidence that all hostages would be released in the coming hours and temporarily housed in refugee centres.
The province, which has been the scene of fighting for a week, is currently without water and electricity. Medical facilities are not functioning because they have been destroyed.
An earlier prisoner exchange between representatives of the Druze community and Arab tribes, scheduled for July 20, was disrupted by clashes.
After the Druze came under attack, Israel intervened. The IDF struck the Syrian army in As Suwayda and attacked the Ministry of Defence and government buildings in the republic’s capital. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that he intends to achieve the demilitarisation of the area from the Golan Heights to Jabal al-Druze.
The US did not support Israel’s actions. US Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack expressed the White House’s position. He said that violent actions, in particular the attack on Damascus, “undermine the authority of the government and destroy the beginnings of order.” Washington called on the parties to engage in dialogue. Israel was forced to agree to the presence of Syrian forces in the region.
