Israel, Syria Strike Ceasefire Deal: US Envoy

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Syria’s interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, have agreed to a US-mediated ceasefire, announced US Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack on Friday. The agreement, supported by Turkey and Jordan, follows intense Israeli airstrikes on Damascus, including the Syrian army headquarters, amid clashes in Syria’s Sweida province.

Barrack, also the US ambassador to Turkey, urged Druze, Bedouin, and Sunni groups to disarm and “build a new and united Syrian identity in peace and prosperity with its neighbors” in a post on X. The ceasefire aims to halt escalating violence between Druze fighters and Bedouin tribes in Sweida, where Israel intervened to protect the Druze, a minority with a significant presence in Israel.

The Israeli strikes on Wednesday, which Syria condemned as violations of international law, followed a collapsed ceasefire in Sweida. The region has seen heavy fighting, with over 250 deaths reported in recent days, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Al-Sharaa, whose Islamist-led forces ousted Bashar al-Assad in December, vowed to protect the Druze and restore stability, while accusing Israel of sowing “chaos and destruction.”

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The US, which recently lifted sanctions on al-Sharaa’s government, did not endorse Israel’s airstrikes but facilitated the ceasefire to prevent further escalation. Diplomatic efforts, backed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, reflect warming Israel-Syria ties, with talks of a potential non-aggression agreement mediated by the US and regional players.

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