The Druze community in Syria’s southern Sweida province announced Wednesday it has reached an agreement with the government of President Ahmad al-Sharaa to reintegrate the region into the Syrian state, following days of violent clashes between the minority community and regime forces, which have reportedly claimed the lives of over 300 people.
In a statement delivered by Sheikh Yusuf Jerboua, the community’s spiritual leader in the province, the agreement was described as ensuring the “full integration of Sweida into the state” and the “restoration and operation of all public institutions.”
IDF strikes Syrian regime forces
(Video: IDF)
According to the statement, a committee of inquiry will be established to investigate recent violations, compensate victims and repair damage. The Damascus–Sweida highway will be secured, and the safety of civilians will fall under the responsibility of the state.
Under the agreement, Syrian army units will return to their bases, and internal security and checkpoints in the province will be manned by local personnel and officers. A framework has also been agreed upon for regulating heavy weapons in coordination with the ministries of interior and defense, “to ensure that arms are not used outside the authority of the state.”
The official Syrian state news agency SANA also reported a ceasefire agreement in Sweida, quoting an Interior Ministry source who confirmed that security checkpoints had been established in the city and that it would be fully reintegrated into the Syrian state.
Earlier, the IDF launched a series of attacks on the Syrian capital of Damascus. The military said early Wednesday afternoon that it struck the entrance gate of the Syrian regime's General Staff headquarters near Damascus. A second strike followed later that afternoon. The rear of the People’s Palace in Damascus, the official residence of al-Sharaa, was also reportedly struck.
IDF airstrike seen in background of live SyriaTV broadcast
The attack was broadcast live, with a large explosion seen in the background of a SyriaTV report. Defense Minister Israel Katz posted the video on his X account (formerly Twitter), writing, “The painful blows have begun.” Two Syrian security sources said the latest strike killed and wounded members of the regime’s security forces. One Syrian channel claimed Israel was carrying out heavy bombardments around the military headquarters.
SyriaTV later reported that Israel struck the home of Anwar Taha al-Zoubi, the governor of Daraa province in southern Syria.
Syria’s Health Ministry reported that at least nine people have been injured so far in the Israeli strikes on Damascus. Meanwhile, the pro-Iranian Sabereen network claimed that dozens of regime personnel were killed or wounded in the strikes deep inside the capital.
The IDF said that since Monday evening, Syrian regime armored vehicles have been observed moving from southern Damascus toward Sweida—violating a previously agreed demilitarization policy that bars the deployment of heavy weaponry to southern Syria due to the threat it poses to Israeli civilians. The military added that message exchanges are ongoing with American officials as part of coordinated diplomatic and military preparations for days of fighting.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, asked about Israeli strikes on Syria, said the United States was concerned, adding that he had just spoken to the relevant parties over the phone.
Footage of Israeli attack
Meanwhile, Axios reported, citing a senior U.S. official, that President Donald Trump's administration asked Israel again on Wednesday to halt strikes on Syria and engage in dialogue with the government in Damascus.
Axios did not say whether that request came before or after Israeli strikes on Syria's military headquarters and near the presidential palace in Damascus.
"We're going to be working on that issue as we speak. I just got off the phone with the relevant parties. We're very concerned about it, and hopefully we'll have some updates later today. But we're very concerned about it," Rubio said, adding that the U.S. wants fighting to stop as clashes between Syrian government troops and local Druze fighters broke out hours after a ceasefire agreement.
An IDF official told Reuters that Israel will not let the Syrian army establish a military presence on their shared border and will protect the Druze population in southern Syria from attack.
The official said Israel was in close contact with the United States over the situation in Syria, adding that Israel was prepared for any eventuality after launching numerous airstrikes over the past 24 hours on Syrian targets.
He added that the Syrian army was part of the problem, not the solution to the crisis, saying it had done nothing to protect the Druze minority.
Druze protesters try to cross the border into Syria
Meanwhile, the IDF used tear gas and fired into the air to prevent Israeli Druze protesters from crossing the border, and earlier announced it was working to return those who had crossed back into Israeli territory. “The IDF emphasizes that this is a serious incident constituting a criminal offense and endangers the public and IDF troops,” the military said. “The troops continue to monitor developments and remain prepared both in defense and offense for various scenarios.”
At the same time, the military said it “identified dozens of suspects attempting to infiltrate Israeli territory from the area of Hader in Syria. IDF and Israeli Border Police forces are operating to prevent the infiltration and disperse the gathering."
Israel’s Druze community has called for general strikes, with some 1,000 protesters reportedly crossing the border with Syria near the village of Majdel Shams. The IDF reported shortly after that dozens of Syrians from the area of Khader attempted to cross the border into Israel, but were held back from crossing by soldiers and Border Police officers.
In a statement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “My Druze brothers, citizens of Israel—the situation in Sweida, in southwestern Syria, is extremely grave. The IDF is operating, the Air Force is operating, and other forces are operating. We are acting to save our Druze brothers and to eliminate the regime’s militias.
Druze protesters cross into Syria
“And now I have one request of you: You are citizens of Israel. Do not cross the border. You are endangering your lives—you could be killed, you could be kidnapped—and you are undermining the IDF’s efforts. Therefore, I ask you: return to your homes and let the IDF carry out its mission.”
The IDF said that Deputy Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Tamir Yadai, Northern Command chief Maj. Gen. Ori Gordin and 210th Division Commander Brig. Gen. Yair Palai held a field assessment in Majdal Shams on the Syrian border with Northern District Police Commander Deputy Commissioner Meir Eliyahu and local council heads from the Galilee and Golan Heights.
“We are operating decisively in the Sweida region, striking Syrian regime targets. We are increasing the pressure and pace of attacks—we struck in Damascus as well and will continue operating in southern Syria,” Gordin said, adding that “rioting along the border disrupts our operational focus on the offensive.”
Meanwhile, Turkey’s Foreign Ministry condemned Israel’s strikes on Damascus, calling them an attempt to “sabotage Syrian efforts to establish peace and security.”
Since Tuesday, the IDF has deployed additional forces along the Syrian border, including a company of Golani Brigade infantry cadets, three Border Police companies and military police units.
The reinforcements are intended to manage potential protests and attempts to breach the border fence, similar to an incident Monday in Majdal Shams, where dozens of Israeli Druze crossed into Syria’s Khader village. The IDF has requested additional police support but has yet to receive it.
Northern Command anticipates more demonstrations and border breaches by Druze citizens in northern Israel and has updated its protocols after a video surfaced showing soldiers standing by as the fence was crossed.
Meanwhile, Druze leaders in Israel declared a general strike and a “day of rage” for Wednesday, condemning the ongoing violence in Sweida.
Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif, the spiritual leader of Israel’s Druze community, called the killings by forces loyal to jihadist leader al-Sharaa a “brutal massacre” of innocent civilians, including women, children and the elderly.
Tarif criticized Israel’s response as insufficient despite earlier promises of protection, and called for immediate and decisive military action. “This is not a clash between Druze and Bedouins—it’s between the Druze and ISIS,” he said in an interview. “If Israel declared the area demilitarized, why were dozens of tanks allowed to travel 130 kilometers from Damascus to attack the Druze? We want to see action.”
Get the Ynetnews app on your smartphone: Google Play: https://bit.ly/4eJ37pE | Apple App Store: https://bit.ly/3ZL7iNv
He added that protests would continue as long as reports of violence persist, while urging demonstrators not to block roads.
The death toll in Sweida includes at least 71 civilians—among them women and children—alongside 156 members of Syrian defense and security forces, including 18 Bedouin militia members. An additional 21 civilians were reportedly executed by regime forces. The region is facing a growing humanitarian crisis, with urgent calls for safe corridors and humanitarian aid.
Overnight, Defense Minister Katz warned that Israel would escalate its military response if Syrian regime forces do not pull back. “The Syrian regime must leave the Druze in Sweida alone and withdraw its forces,” he said.
“Israel will not abandon the Druze and will enforce its demilitarization policy. The IDF will continue striking regime forces until they retreat, and will soon raise the level of response if the message is not understood.”
First published: 11:51, 07.16.25