A fragile ceasefire takes hold following deadly clashes between Druze and Bedouin groups, as international pressure mounts and humanitarian aid begins to reach the devastated region.
After a week of intense sectarian violence that left more than 1,100 people dead, calm has returned to southern Syria’s Sweida province. The clashes, which pitted Druze fighters against rival Bedouin groups, had spiraled to involve government forces, Israeli airstrikes, and armed tribal factions from other parts of the country.
On Sunday, Syria’s Interior Ministry announced that Sweida city had been “evacuated of all tribal fighters,” and that clashes within its neighborhoods had ceased. AFP reporters confirmed the quiet on the ground, noting that government forces had been deployed in key areas to enforce the truce announced a day earlier.
The Syrian Red Crescent confirmed the arrival of the first humanitarian aid convoy into the city, coordinated with Druze-controlled local authorities. “This is only the beginning,” said Red Crescent official Omar Al-Malki, noting more convoys are expected to follow. However, the government reported that one of its own convoys had been blocked by a Druze group, highlighting the fragile nature of the peace.
Residents, long confined to their homes without electricity, water, or food, welcomed the reprieve. “The city hasn’t seen calm like this in a week,” said Dr. Hanadi Obeid, 39. The scale of the violence was evident in grim scenes from Sweida’s main hospital, where the morgue was full and bodies lay outside due to overcrowding.
The United Nations migration agency reported that more than 128,000 people have been displaced across Sweida province, amplifying an already dire humanitarian situation.
Interim President Ahmed Al-Sharaa, who announced the ceasefire on Saturday, reaffirmed his commitment to protecting Syria’s ethnic and religious minorities. The fighting in Sweida marked the worst sectarian violence in Syria since rebels overthrew longtime president Bashar al-Assad in December.
A spokesperson for Syria’s Tribal and Clan Council confirmed that fighters had left the city “in response to the call of the presidency and the terms of the agreement.”
International voices, including the U.S., have weighed in heavily. U.S. Special Envoy Tom Barrack described Syria as standing at a “critical juncture” and urged all factions to “lay down their arms, cease hostilities, and abandon cycles of tribal vengeance.” He emphasized that continued brutality undermines governmental authority and threatens long-term stability.
Tensions escalated earlier in the week when Israeli warplanes bombed government positions in both Sweida and Damascus. Israel claimed the strikes were in defense of the Druze community and part of its efforts to enforce the demilitarization of southern Syria. The United States reportedly helped broker the ceasefire between Israel and the Syrian government.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on Damascus to prevent jihadist incursions and to hold accountable any individuals, including government forces, responsible for atrocities.
With a fragile peace now in place, the future of Sweida—and southern Syria at large—hinges on whether rival factions can maintain restraint, and whether international diplomacy can sustain the momentum toward stability.