Israeli forces launched new airstrikes on the predominantly Druze province of As Suwayda in Syria on Friday night.
“Israeli planes raided the outskirts of the city of As Suwayda,” local media reported.
On Thursday, Syrian government forces left the province, a ceasefire was declared, and control of law and order was handed over to a committee comprising representatives of the authorities and Druze spiritual leaders.
On Friday, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa issued a statement accusing Druze militants in As Suwayda of violating the ceasefire. He also warned against “Israel’s continued flagrant interference in Syria’s internal affairs, which only leads to further chaos and destruction and further complicates the situation in the region.”
On Wednesday, the Israeli Defence Forces struck the Syrian Armed Forces General Staff headquarters and the presidential palace in Damascus.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was “committed to maintaining the demilitarised zone in south-western Syria and protecting the local Druze population.”
On July 14, at least 34 people were killed in clashes between government forces and Druze in the city.
The Druze are a distinct Arab-speaking ethno-religious group living in Syria, Lebanon, Israel and Jordan. There are 700,000 Druze in Syria. On May 1, a ceasefire agreement was reached in the Druze-populated suburbs of Damascus, Jarmana and Sahnaya. Twenty security personnel were killed in the clashes.
The US “doesn’t support strikes on Syria”
The United States “did not support the recent Israeli strikes” on Syria, State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce told reporters.
She said Washington was “engaged in diplomatic talks with Israel and Syria at the highest levels to resolve the current crisis and reach a lasting agreement between the two sovereign states.”
The US State Department on Thursday confirmed its warning against travel to Syria at the highest level, urging American citizens to leave the country immediately due to recent outbreaks of violence, including in the southern city of Suwayda.
“The Travel Advisory for Syria remains at Level 4 – Do Not Travel to Syria. This advisory remains in effect due to the risks of armed conflict and violence,” the department said on X.
