Israel Approves Syrian Regime Forces’ Entry into Sweida 

Israel has permitted Syrian regime forces to enter the city of Sweida for the next 48 hours following a resurgence of violent clashes between Druze and Bedouin fighters, despite a recent ceasefire brokered between the Druze and the Damascus government. The renewed fighting, which erupted over the past day, has claimed nearly 600 lives, with reports of atrocities continuing to emerge.

Local sources report that Bedouin tribes, backed by fighters from the nearby Daraa province and other regions of Syria, launched a fresh offensive in Sweida, seizing control of parts of the province. Social media footage has revealed horrific acts, including the execution of a Druze individual at close range. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported approximately 600 deaths since the conflict reignited on Sunday, sparked by a local dispute between Bedouins and Druze. Of the casualties, 300 were Druze, including 146 fighters and 154 civilians, 83 of whom were executed by regime forces. Additionally, 257 regime fighters and 18 Bedouin fighters were killed, with three Bedouin civilians executed by Druze fighters.

In response to the escalating violence, Israel authorized the limited entry of Syrian regime forces into Suweida to stabilize the situation. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar ordered urgent humanitarian aid worth 2 million shekels (approximately $530,000) for the Druze community, including food, medical supplies, first aid kits, and medicine. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Israel would not allow Syrian forces to move south of Damascus, aiming to keep the new Islamist-led Syrian regime, under Ahmad al-Sharaa, away from its borders. Syria’s leadership accused Israel of destabilizing its new government, established after the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December.

The ceasefire, mediated by international pressure from the U.S. and Turkey, followed Israel’s destruction of the Syrian army headquarters in Damascus and strikes near the presidential palace on Wednesday. Yesterday, Syrian forces completed a withdrawal from Suweida after three days of intense fighting with Druze militias, which had threatened to escalate into a broader regional conflict. The Israeli military remains on high alert along the border after hundreds of Druze crossed into Syria to protect their families, with some Syrian Druze fleeing in the opposite direction. All Israeli Druze are reported to have returned to Israel.

Rayan Marouf of the Suweida24 website described finding the bodies of 12 family members, including women and an elderly man, in a single home. Footage from the city showed scattered bodies, destroyed homes, and looted shops, with reports of regime loyalists humiliating Druze residents by shaving their mustaches. Conversely, Bedouin fighters claimed they faced massacres by Druze forces, prompting their flight from the city. A Bedouin commander declared the ceasefire irrelevant to them, announcing the capture of Suweida’s entrance overnight. In a video circulating online, Bedouin fighters stated, “The treacherous Druze, collaborators with the Zionists, thought the state was powerless. We fought Iran, Russia, and all separatist factions. The Sunni tribes are coming to liberate every inch of Syrian land.”

Israel reiterated its commitment to maintaining southern Syria as a demilitarized zone. A second Syrian human rights organization reported a lower death toll but noted the full extent of the casualties may not be clear for days. This marks the third major wave of sectarian violence in Syria since the regime change, following clashes in Damascus in April and the massacre of hundreds of Alawites, Assad’s sect, in coastal areas in March.

The situation remains volatile as international actors and local factions navigate the fragile balance in the region.