With the help of American, Turkish and Qatari intervention, a ceasefire was achieved after the Israeli air force bombed the Syrian army, which rushed to Suwayda to stop the violence between the Bedouins and Druze. Not only did the Israeli fighters attack the Syrian army units there, they also reinforced their demands for the withdrawal of Syrian forces from Suwayda by attacking the Defense Ministry in Damascus and firing missiles near the presidential palace. After clashes with pro-Assad militias and remnants of the former Alawite regime in the spring months, the conflict in the south of the country has been the biggest challenge to the new authorities so far.
By attacking Syrian army targets, Israel pursued its strategic goals of preventing a military presence in southern Syria, where it has also declared itself a protectorate of the Druze, a community that also lives on the Israeli side of the Golan Heights. Although Israel is secretly discussing with Syria the possible entry of the Ahmed Al-Sharaa administration among the signatories of the so-called Abraham Accords, with which several Arab countries normalized relations with Israel under American mediation, the interests regarding the security arrangement in southern Syria between Damascus and Tel Aviv clearly diverge. Israel demands that this area south of Damascus remain demilitarized and that there is no government presence there. This was reiterated on Thursday by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Harsh criticism of Turkey
The Syrian authorities reached an agreement with the Druze on a ceasefire after a sharp escalation on Wednesday. After 350 deaths in the clashes in the region, they withdrew the army from the region. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights explained that according to the information available so far, 79 fighters and 55 civilians among the Druze were killed, 189 government forces and 18 Bedouins. However, they were not able to explain how many of these victims were killed as a result of sectarian clashes, attacks by government forces or Israeli rocket fire.
After the withdrawal of government forces from Suwayda, Syrian President Al-Shara assured the people in an address that the security of the Druze remains one of the government's priorities. He also told the Druze that he does not want them to be dragged from abroad to the other side. We are not among those who are afraid of war. In our lives, we have faced challenges and defended our people, but we have put the interests of the Syrians before chaos and destruction, he said, adding that the Syrians are ready to fight if their dignity is threatened.
The Israeli intervention has angered Ankara, where they have excellent cooperation with the new government of Ahmed Al-Shara, and the stability of Syria and the success of the transition there are in their interests due to their own peace process with the Kurds. They see the destabilization in southern Syria as a threat to Al-Shara's efforts to integrate the Free Syrian Army units, which also include the Kurdish YPG militia, into the regular army and convince the Kurds to support the central authorities.
It must be clear to all of us that Israel does not want peace and stability. Israeli aggression threatens the fragile peace that the Syrian people have achieved at great cost, assessed Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan , saying that Israeli attacks deepen divisions in the region. The Turkish Defense Ministry renewed its readiness to strengthen Syria's defense capabilities and support the Syrian authorities in the fight against terrorism, if requested. x
