Syria, Israel agree to ceasefire, says US envoy
The U.S. envoy to Syria announced on Friday that the country and Israel reached a ceasefire deal.
“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,” Tom Barrack posted on the social media platform X.
Barrack said the deal was supported by the U.S., Turkey, Jordan and other neighbors.
The ceasefire comes after Israel struck southern Syria in the Suwayda province and the capital Damascus earlier this week in defense of the Druze, a religious Arab minority, who are against the current Syrian government led by President Ahmad al-Sharaa.
Israeli strikes targeted multiple public buildings, including the Syrian Ministry of Defense in the center of Damascus.
A series of clashes began on June 13 between Druze militias and the Bedouin tribes, who are pro-government. Syrian officials sent armed forces to quell the fighting, but instead, government forces sided with the Bedouins.
In response, Israel defended the Druze as they are loyal to the state and often participate in the Israeli armed forces.
The latest clashes have led to at least 100 deaths.
Syrian officials and leaders from the Druze religious minority announced their own ceasefire on July 17. However, the night of, clashes erupted again. The Syrian president said the government would send a “specialized force to break up clashes and resolve the conflict on the ground.”
The U.S. has been involved diplomatically to try to resolve the conflict.
“We have agreed on specific steps that will bring this troubling and horrifying situation to an end tonight. This will require all parties to deliver on the commitments they have made, and this is what we fully expect them to do,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote in a Wednesday X post.
On Friday, Rubio called Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, CNN reported.
The government has been trying to ease tensions between religious factions since Syria's former president Bashar al-Assad was ousted in December.
“We affirm that protecting your rights and freedoms is among our top priorities,” said al-Sharaa, specifically addressing Druze people in Syria. “We reject any attempt — foreign or domestic — to sow division within our ranks. We are all partners in this land, and we will not allow any group to distort the beautiful image that Syria and its diversity represent.”
Since the beginning of the clashes, the U.N. has reported that nearly 80,000 people have been displaced. Moreover, water systems and electricity have collapsed.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.