The conflict in Syria’s Suwayda province, which began as localized clashes between Druze and Bedouin communities, has escalated into full-scale fighting involving the army. Israel intervened, launching strikes on Syrian military positions under the pretext of protecting the Druze minority. Damascus’s attempt to halt the violence failed after a prominent Druze leader rejected a ceasefire and demanded the withdrawal of government troops. According to human rights groups, hundreds have been killed in recent days—including civilians, militants, and soldiers.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), at least 594 people have been killed in the latest outbreak of sectarian violence in southern Syria.
The UK-based group reported that the situation is particularly dire in Suwayda province, where a sharp rise in violence has been recorded since Sunday. Among the dead are 300 members of the Druze community, including 146 armed fighters and 154 civilians. According to SOHR, 83 of those civilians were executed extrajudicially by government forces.
The death toll also includes 257 government troops and 18 fighters from Bedouin factions. SOHR further reported that Druze forces executed three Bedouin civilians.
Clashes in Suwayda were initially triggered by tensions between Bedouin and Druze communities. The situation escalated after government troops were deployed—nominally to restore order. Reports indicate that 15 Syrian soldiers were killed in Israeli airstrikes. Tel Aviv stated the strikes aimed to protect the Druze and push Islamist government forces out of Suwayda.
Hundreds of Bedouins have been displaced by the fighting.
Reuters
Reports on the scale of casualties vary. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) has recorded 594 deaths, including 300 Druze and 257 government forces. However, other sources offer more conservative figures: security services estimate the total number of dead at around 300, while the Syrian Network for Human Rights has documented at least 169 civilian fatalities.
On July 17, an uneasy calm persisted in the city of Suwayda. Following the withdrawal of government forces, residents reported widespread destruction, looting, and bodies left in the streets. On Monday, convoys of fighters representing the Islamist government entered the city in what was described as an effort to restore order after clashes between Druze and Bedouin groups. However, their presence only heightened tensions and led to further escalation—including within the Druze community itself, which traditionally adheres to a religion rooted in Shiite Islam but distinct in its doctrine.
On the evening of July 16, Syrian authorities announced a ceasefire and began withdrawing forces from the region. However, prominent Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri rejected the truce, calling for continued resistance until the "complete liberation of the province from gangs," referring to government forces. Al-Hijri, whose supporters are leading the resistance in Suwayda, advocates closer ties with Israel. At the same time, other Druze figures are seeking ways to engage with Syria’s new Islamist leadership.
A large Druze community resides in Israel and on the occupied Golan Heights. As fighting continues in Syria’s Suwayda province, Israeli authorities have intensified their involvement in the conflict.
On July 17, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Israel would continue to pursue its interests in Syria through military means. According to him, the Israeli army’s strikes on Syrian territory were aimed both at protecting the Druze and at preventing the deployment of Syrian forces in the south of the country.
"This will remain our policy: we will not allow Syrian troops to enter the region south of Damascus, and we will not permit harm to come to the Druze community," he emphasized.
On Wednesday, Israeli airstrikes inflicted significant damage on Syria’s Ministry of Defense building in Damascus and also struck an area near the presidential palace. This marked the most intense escalation of Israeli military action against Syria since the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad in December last year.
In a televised address on Wednesday evening, Syria’s interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa described the Israeli strikes as an attempt to destabilize the country. "We find ourselves at the very heart of a battle for the unity of our land, the dignity of our people, and the resilience of our nation," he said. "The Israeli entity, which since the fall of the previous regime has systematically undermined our stability and sown division, is once again trying to turn our sacred land into a theater of endless chaos."
Addressing Syria’s Druze community, Sharaa added: "Protecting your rights and freedoms is among our top priorities. We reject any attempt—external or internal—to sow discord among you."