Syria Announces Ceasefire with Israel

The government of Syria confirmed on Saturday that it had struck a ceasefire agreement with Israel to end a conflict that erupted in the south of the country earlier this week and killed hundreds of people. The deal appears to permit Syrian government forces, which had been withdrawn on Wednesday, to redeploy in the area.

U.S. ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack on Friday had announced the ceasefire.

The conflict began Sunday after a clash between the local Sunni Bedouin and Druze populations spiraled out of control. Syrian government forces moved into the region, further intensifying the conflict. The escalating violence drew in the Israelis, who stated that they had an interest in protecting the ethnic minority Druze and began to bomb government-aligned forces that remained in the area. 

Israel also launched airstrikes against government buildings in the capital of Damascus, hitting the Syrian government’s military headquarters among other targets. The Syrian government condemned the strikes but withdrew troops from the south.

The Syrian government on Saturday said it would send its military back into the region. President Ahmed al-Sharaa has promised to protect ethnic and religious minorities but has at times had difficulties exercising control over militias, which consist primarily of Sunni Arabs.

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