On 16 July, the Israel Defence Forces launched a series of airstrikes on key sites in Damascus, including the Syrian Ministry of Defence, military headquarters, and areas near the presidential palace. Israel framed the strikes as a warning to the Syrian government against further escalation in Suweida in the south, where clashes erupted between a Druze militia and Bedouin groups. In response to the clashes local to Suweida, the Syrian government had deployed forces to restore order. According to Israeli officials, government forces entered a zone that Israel – currently occupying parts of the area – has designated as demilitarised of heavy weapons. The Israeli Air Force subsequently struck Syrian government targets, framing the strike as enforcement of its red lines and aimed at neutralising militias affiliated with the Syrian government responsible for massacres against the Druze minority in Suweida. With over 1,200 reported fatalities in a highly volatile escalation, there is a credible risk that such violence could recur. As part of a ceasefire agreement, the Syrian government started evacuating Bedouin families (up to 1,500 persons) trapped inside the city of Suweida. The UN International Organization for Migration reported that close to 130,000 people were displaced in the hostilities. Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa has vowed to protect Syria’s Druze and condemned external intervention aimed at fracturing Syria’s national unity.
Violence in Suweida Reveals Syria’s Volatile Transition Challenge | Royal United Services Institute
