U.S. Special Envoy Tom Barrack announced a ceasefire between Israel and Syria, urging Syrian minorities to unite amid renewed clashes in Sweida.
U.S. Special Envoy Announces Ceasefire Deal Between Israel and Syria
In a major diplomatic development, U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy for Syria, Tom Barrack, announced late Friday that Israel and Syria have agreed to a ceasefire, following days of escalating violence in the Sweida province of southern Syria.
Posting on X (formerly Twitter), Barrack stated:
“Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, supported by the USA, have agreed to a ceasefire embraced by Türkiye, Jordan, and regional neighbors.”
He went on to appeal directly to Syria’s divided communities:
“We call upon Druze, Bedouins, and Sunnis to put down their weapons and, together with other minorities, build a united Syrian identity rooted in peace and prosperity.”
The ceasefire announcement comes after fierce clashes between Druze and Bedouin militias in Sweida, prompting the Syrian army to intervene earlier this week. On Thursday, tensions escalated dramatically after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) struck Syrian regime targets, including central military headquarters and the presidential palace in Damascus, reportedly in response to Syria’s aggression and its handling of ethnic violence.
Following these airstrikes, Syrian government forces temporarily withdrew from Sweida. However, violence flared again on Friday, leading to a government announcement that Syrian troops would redeploy to the region.
In a televised speech Thursday morning, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa accused Israel of exploiting internal tensions:
“The Israeli entity has consistently worked to destabilize Syria and spark internal conflict since the fall of the Assad regime,” al-Sharaa claimed.
The international community, including Türkiye and Jordan, has welcomed the ceasefire and urged all factions to support the peace framework aimed at halting bloodshed and rebuilding national unity in war-ravaged Syria.
