Over a thousand people died in clashes between Bedouins and Druze that broke out a week ago in the southern Syrian province of Suwayda, in which Syrian government troops and the Israeli army were involved by air, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said. According to it and sources from the AP, AFP and Reuters agencies, the situation in the area calmed down on Sunday and humanitarian convoys from the Syrian government and the local Red Crescent are heading there.

Last Sunday, armed clashes broke out in the southern Syrian province of Suwayda between the local Druze and Bedouin, which Syrian government forces later joined in. On Monday, the Israeli army entered the conflict, and on Wednesday it also shelled government and military targets in Damascus.

According to the AP, militants from Sunni Bedouin tribes withdrew from the predominantly Druze city of Suwayda on Sunday, a move that was called for by interim Syrian President Ahmad Shaara on Saturday after growing foreign criticism over the violence in the area.

"We thank the Bedouins for their heroic stance, but we ask them to respect the ceasefire and the government's instructions," said Sharah in a speech on Saturday. He became interim president at the end of January this year after, as leader of the Sunni Islamist movement Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), he and other rebels overthrew the more than 20-year dictatorial regime of Bashar Assad in December.

On Saturday, Shaara declared a ceasefire in the province of Suwayda and called on all parties to end the violence, and the same day, Syrian internal security forces began deploying to the area, which the Interior Ministry said were to protect civilians and end the chaos in the region. However, according to the SOHR, government forces also participated in the killing of Druze.

A ceasefire has been declared in this area several times this week, but fighting has always continued despite it.

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Hundreds of civilians dead

The SOHR said that 336 Druze fighters and 298 Druze civilians had died in the week of fighting in southern Syria, 194 of whom it said were “executed by members of the defense and interior ministries.” The fighting also killed 342 members of government security forces and 21 Bedouins, including three civilians “executed by Druze fighters,” the SOHR was quoted as saying by AFP. The organization also said that 15 government forces had been killed in Israeli strikes.

Dozens of Druze civilians have been killed by Bedouin fighters and government forces. According to footage on social media, which the AP refers to, Bedouins also tore down pictures of Druze religious leaders in Suwayda and shaved the mustaches of elderly men, which the Druze consider an insult to their culture and traditions. However, according to the AP, Druze militias have also attacked areas on the outskirts of Suwayda province inhabited mainly by Bedouins, forcing entire families to flee to a neighboring province.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also warned on Saturday that the humanitarian situation in the province of Suwayda is deteriorating dramatically. There is a shortage of food and medical supplies, hospitals are no longer functioning, and numerous cases of theft and looting have also been recorded.

Involvement of Israeli Druze

The Times of Israel (ToI) reported that around 2,000 Israeli Druze have signed a document declaring their intention to join the fighting in southern Syria if clashes between Syrian Druze, Bedouins and government forces do not stop. The signatories include reservists from the Israeli army, which does not support the Druze's plan.

"We are preparing to voluntarily join the fighting alongside our brothers in Suwayda. Our time has come to be ready to defend our brothers, our land and our faith," ToI quoted the document as saying.

Already on Wednesday, about a thousand Druze from Israeli territory crossed into Syria in solidarity with the Syrian Druze. Two Druze members of the Israeli parliament, both from the ruling Likud party and the opposition Yisrael Beiteinu (Israel is our home), also crossed into Syria.

On Saturday, Israeli media reported that additional groups of Israeli Druze arrived at the Israeli-Syrian border overnight, trying to reach Syrian territory, and clashed with the Israeli army on Saturday night, according to the Ha'aretz newspaper. It is unclear whether Israeli soldiers prevented all the Druze from entering Syria.

The Druze are a religious minority that has roots in the Shiite branch of Islam and lives mainly in Syria, where they make up about three percent of the population, as well as in Lebanon and Israel. The Druze in Israel are loyal to the government of the Jewish state, which is described as their protector, according to the BBC, also because the Druze serve in the Israeli army. Around 152,000 Druze live in Israel and the Golan Heights it occupies.

Prevent jihadists from entering southern Syria, Rubio urges Damascus

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on the government in Damascus on Sunday night to ensure that its security forces prevent jihadists from entering southern Syria and committing massacres there.

"If the authorities in Damascus want to maintain any chance of achieving a unified, inclusive and peaceful Syria, (...) they must help end this scourge by using their security forces to prevent the Islamic State (terrorist organization, ed. note) and other violent jihadists from entering the area and committing massacres there," he wrote on the X network.