In a forceful televised speech to the public on Thursday, Syrian interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa vowed to defend Syria’s Druze minority and charged Israel with using internal unrest to try to divide the country.
According to al-Sharaa, the Syrian people have long rejected all forms of division. This comes in the midst of current sectarian confrontations in the southern province of Suweida, where over 300 people have reportedly been killed in recent days.
“As the descendants of this land, we are the most capable of overcoming the Israeli entity’s attempts to destroy us,” he declared.
Al-Sharaa declared that “protecting them is our priority” and called the Druze people of Syria “an essential part of the fabric of the homeland.” He went on to say, “We reject any attempt to drag you into the hands of an external party,” speaking directly to Druze citizens.
The president’s comments follow a violent flare-up in Suweida, where violence broke out between Bedouin tribes and Druze militias after a local shopkeeper was kidnapped. Israel launched airstrikes on Syrian military targets in Damascus and the south as a result of the violence’s quick escalation, while the United States launched emergency diplomatic attempts to mediate a ceasefire.
“We have no fear of war.”
Al-Sharaa stated Syria’s readiness to confront outside aggression and claimed the government had made a conscious decision to prioritize stability over anarchy.
“We are not the ones who fear war,” he declared. “Throughout our lives, we have faced difficulties and defended our people, but we have put the needs of the people before anarchy and devastation.”
“While having great strength was important, it did not guarantee victory or control over the consequences of a conflict,” the interim leader noted.
He cautioned, “You may be able to initiate a war, but it is difficult to control its outcomes.”
Suweida government response
Al-Sharaa said that following days of fighting that left hundreds injured and dozens dead, Syrian official institutions had “succeeded in controlling security” and had stepped in fully to stop additional violence in Suweida.
As part of an agreement with Druze religious leaders, government forces have started to leave the province after what the Syrian state news agency Sana described as the “completion of the army’s pursuit of outlaw groups.”
The president added that the duty of assisting in the restoration of peace in the province had been given to the local Druze elders.
Following the fall of the Assad administration in December, the Syrian leadership has accused Israel of trying to destabilize the country and of using sectarian differences to undermine national cohesion.
Al-Sharaa declared that Damascus would not permit Syria to become “a land of conflict” and that “Israel has been seeking to dismantle Syria since the fall of the regime.”
US mediation and Israeli attacks
The Israeli military attacked Syrian defense positions in the heart of Damascus and military convoys traveling to Suweida with airstrikes on Wednesday. Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, stated that the operations were intended to “rescue our Druze brothers” and eradicate “regime gangs.”
Israel was accused by the Syrian foreign ministry of breaking international law and trying to instigate disorder by denouncing the strikes as a “treacherous aggression.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced in a statement later that night that Washington had reached an agreement with regional partners on “specific steps” to put an end to the bloodshed. He said he hoped things would settle down in a few hours.
The US-led diplomatic initiatives were welcomed by Syria’s foreign ministry, which described them as “constructive” and intended to protect the nation’s territorial integrity.
