A ceasefire agreement between Israel and Syria was reached on Friday, temporarily halting Israeli airstrikes and allowing Syrian government forces to deploy to the southern province of Suweyda for 48 hours in a bid to restore order after the eruption of sectarian violence.
The deal follows over a week of escalating conflict between pro-government Bedouin Arab militias and local Druze separatist factions, which triggered a swift military response from Damascus and an aggressive counteraction by Israel. The ceasefire is intended to give the Syrian government a window to stabilize the deteriorating situation in the south.
U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack—who also serves as Washington’s envoy to Damascus—announced the ceasefire in a statement posted to X (formerly Twitter). He wrote:
"BREAKTHROUGH —— Israeli Prime Minister @Netanyahu and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa @SyPresidency, supported by the U.S.A. @SecRubio, have agreed to a ceasefire embraced by Türkiye, Jordan and its neighbors. We call upon Druze, Bedouins, and Sunnis to put down their weapons and together with other minorities build a new and united Syrian identity in peace and prosperity with its neighbors."
The conflict escalated significantly earlier in the week when Syrian forces were dispatched to Suweyda to contain the violence. Israel responded by launching airstrikes on Syrian military convoys en route to the region. On Wednesday, Israeli airstrikes intensified, targeting multiple sites across Syria, including the Syrian Defense Ministry in Damascus and an area near the Presidential Palace. These attacks sparked reports that President Ahmed al-Sharaa had fled the capital, prompting Syrian troops to withdraw from Suweyda.
Israel justified its military actions by citing its longstanding policy against Syrian troop deployments south of Damascus and claimed its intervention was also meant to protect the Druze population.
The Israeli reversal—now allowing limited Syrian troop deployment—may have been influenced by growing discomfort within the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, as well as a strategic reassessment in Tel Aviv, with concerns that a large-scale sectarian conflict near the Golan Heights could destabilize the region and jeopardize Israeli interests.
Despite the ceasefire, social media footage posted on Saturday indicated that clashes in Suweyda were still ongoing, with reports of atrocities being committed by both sides.