A Ministry of Interior spokesperson reported that Israeli military forces have begun to deploy in the troubled southern province of Suwayda, where hundreds have been killed in bloody battles between Druze and Bedouin armed groups and government forces, adding to Israeli military support.
The ceasefire agreement between Israel and Syria, an uncertain truce, was announced shortly after the United States announced the deployment on Saturday despite overnight fighting.
The Syrian government made the announcement early on Saturday, saying in a statement that it is being carried out “to spare Syrian blood, preserve the unity of Syrian territory, and ensure the safety of its people.”
In a televised address, the nation’s president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, stated that he “received international calls to intervene in what is happening in Suwayda and restore security to the country.”
He said Israeli action “rekindled tensions” in the city, calling the city’s conflict “a dangerous turning point,” while also thanking the US for its assistance.
In a statement released on Telegram earlier, Interior Ministry spokesman Noureddine al-Baba had stated that “internal security forces have started deploying in Suwayda province… with the intention of protecting civilians and putting an end to the chaos.”
In recent days, allegedly hundreds of people have died in clashes between Druze and Bedouin armed groups and government forces due to ethnic tensions.
Israel attacked Syria’s Ministry of Defense in the heart of Damascus on Wednesday, claiming it had done so to protect the Druze, who it calls its “brothers,” and also attacked Syrian government forces in the Suwayda region.
Suwayda’s communities are ” noble people “.
Al-Sharaa stated in his speech that the government’s goal was to achieve national unity and that a neutral arbitrator was a role in all political negotiations, according to Al Jazeera’s Mohamed Vall, who is based in Damascus.
He praised the city’s residents, claiming that both the Druze and Arab communities were honorable people, aside from the few elements that wanted to cause trouble.
According to Vall, it was unclear whether Syrian troops had reached Suwayda city as of Saturday morning or whether they were still on the city’s fringes.
Druze leaders have a range of opinions on the ceasefire, with some pleading for it while others promising to keep fighting, he added. Bedouin tribal fighters had been anticipating more from the government about it.
Many in the city were “welcome news” about the deployment of Syria’s internal security forces, Vall said. Fighting has “been going on throughout the night.”
An Israeli official who declined to be identified told reporters on Friday that Israel had agreed to allow the “limited entry of the]Syrian internal security forces into Suwayda district for the next 48 hours” in light of the “ongoing instability in southwest Syria.”
The city’s Druze-majority city’s death toll has increased to at least 260, according to Syria’s health ministry. According to the International Organization for Migration, 80 000 people reportedly have fled the area.
Vall noted that “a lot of extrajudicial killings] are being reported. Because the majority of those services have been severely impacted by the fighting, people are suffering, even those who have been killed or forced to flee.
“Territorial expansion and concurrent wars: a zero-sum formula”
Syria’s government misinterpreted how Israel would respond to its troops stationed in the country’s south this week, which was encouraged by US propaganda that Syria should be run as a centralised state, according to the Reuters news agency on Saturday.
Despite months of Israeli and Syrian military warnings not to do so, Damascus believed it had a green light from both the US and Israel, according to Reuters, citing several sources, including two diplomats and regional security figures, including Syrian political and military officials.
According to the sources, that understanding was based on discussions with Israel and the US special envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack in public and private.
According to Nour Odeh of Al Jazeera, Israel’s attacks have less to do with the minority Druze community and more with a strategic Israeli goal to bring about a new reality.
“Part of Israel is attempting to establish its position as the hegemonic power in the Middle East,” said one analyst.
It’s a zero-sum formula for territorial expansion and conflicting wars, she continued. Endless war against Gaza, unrelenting attacks on Lebanon, strikes on Yemen, threats of resumption of hostilities against Iran and Syria, territorial expansion, [and] direct military intervention.
Source: Aljazeera
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