Israel Grants Syrian Forces 48-Hour Access to As-Suwayda to De-Escalate Tensions — IDF Warns of Airstrikes if Deadline Breached
JULY 19, 2025—AS-SUWAYDA / TEL AVIV (VOM-Voice of Malaysia)
Israel has granted Syrian internal security forces a 48-hour window to enter the Sweida Governorate amid escalating sectarian violence between the Druze and Bedouin communities in southern Syria. The decision, announced Friday by Israeli officials, comes in response to an urgent and deadly situation that has already left over 250 people dead within days.
“In light of the ongoing instability in southwest Syria, Israel has agreed to allow limited entry of the Syrian internal security forces into the Sweida district for the next 48 hours,” an Israeli official told reporters anonymously.
Despite a ceasefire declared Wednesday, clashes resumed Thursday night, with Bedouin tribes and Druze fighters exchanging fire in Sweida, a province known for its Druze majority. Eyewitnesses and local media outlet Sweida24 confirmed that fighting continued into Friday. Reports include disturbing allegations of government troops looting homes, executing civilians, and desecrating Druze religious figures, prompting Israel’s own Druze population to demand immediate intervention.
Responding to the humanitarian crisis, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar ordered the urgent transfer of NIS 2 million (approx. $600,000) worth of medical supplies and food parcels to affected Druze communities. Israel had also delivered aid in March, but officials say the current situation is more severe.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights has documented at least 254 deaths, including women, children, and medical workers. The UN human rights office (OHCHR) said it had credible reports of summary executions, kidnappings, and unlawful killings, including the massacre of six men and an attack on a family gathering on July 15.
Tensions have also spilled across the Israeli-Syrian border. Around 1,000 Druze crossed from Israel into Syria, while dozens from Syria entered Israel. The IDF arrested two young Druze men at the border on Thursday for attempting to return with a Kalashnikov rifle. Local Druze leaders and lawmakers have been working with Israeli police to manage the return of citizens who crossed.
In a video statement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the Syrian regime’s actions, saying:
“It sent an army south of Damascus, into the area that should be demilitarized, and it began to massacre the Druze. We could not accept this in any way. We acted — and will continue to act — to protect Druze lives and enforce our red lines.”
Those red lines include:
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Preventing Syrian military presence south of Damascus.
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Protecting the Druze minority within Syria.
Netanyahu confirmed that Israel conducted airstrikes earlier this week on Syrian regime positions, including near the presidential palace in Damascus, to pressure Damascus into withdrawal from Sweida.
Despite Israeli pressure and the temporary truce, Syria’s Interior Ministry has denied any plans for redeployment in Sweida, contradicting earlier reports. Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who has been trying to improve ties with the U.S., accused Israel of exploiting the crisis to divide Syria, while promising protection for the Druze.
However, Israeli officials remain deeply skeptical. Sharaa’s interim government, linked to former jihadist factions like Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, has struggled with governance and minority relations. In March, massacres of over 1,700 Alawite civilians were attributed to government-affiliated groups. More than 100 people died in clashes involving Druze fighters earlier this year.
Though the U.S. helped broker this week’s ceasefire, it has publicly criticized Israeli airstrikes, highlighting diverging views between allies on how to manage Syria’s evolving power structure.
As of now, Israel has reinforced its military presence along the Golan Heights and reaffirmed it will not tolerate any permanent Syrian troop deployments near its border. With the situation in Sweida still volatile and humanitarian needs growing, the next 48 hours will be critical in determining whether the conflict can be contained—or if the region edges closer to broader confrontation.
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