Sweida

Syrian Kurds are fighting for survival – and Israel’s future is tied to theirs - opinion

Northern Syria is collapsing into chaos, and unless the West acts, the Kurds will pay the price.

|ByPAUSHALI LASS
Conoco gas plant after it came under the control of the Syrian government following the withdrawal of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), in the countryside of Deir al-Zor, Syria, January 19, 2026.
Jordanian troops ride their military vehicles during a parade at a ceremony to celebrate the country's 74th Independence Day within a limited number of activities amid the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Amman, Jordan May 25, 2020; illustrative.

Jordanian army strikes near Sweida after intercepting arms, drugs smugglers near border

The Jordanian Armed Forces carried out airstrikes near Sweida, Syria, targeting smuggler factories used for operations into Jordan, after coordination with "regional partners."

|ByJAMES GENN
A druze fighter stands at a roundabout draped with the Druze flag and a portrait of a local leader, in the predominantly Druze city of Sweida in southern Syria, in July, after a ceasefire in the southern province halted a week of sectarian bloodshed.

Druze claim Syrian gov't attack in Sweida, as clashes between Syrian army, SDF de-escalate - report

Syrian Druze militias were attacked by troops allegedly linked with the Syrian government in the Sweida region, while clashes were reported in northern Syria, according to Syrian media.

|ByTOBIAS HOLCMAN, REUTERS
Leader of the Druze community in Israel Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif speaks with Reuters at his house in Julis, northern Israel March 13, 2025.

Israeli Druze leader seeks US security guarantees for Syrian minority

"We hope that the United States, President Trump, and America as a great power, we want it to guarantee the rights of all minorities in Syria," Israeli Druze leader Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif urged.

|ByREUTERS

Israel’s message in defending the Druze goes beyond borders, wanting to correct history - analysis

While strategic considerations were still in play, the heart of the decision lay in defending the extended family of Israel’s own Druze—a gesture shaped as much by kinship as by security.

JULY 20, 2025ByHERB KEINON
Bedouin fighters ride motocycles, following renewed fighting between Bedouin fighters and Druze gunmen, despite an announced truce, in Sweida, Syria July 18, 2025.

Top stories from July 20, 2025: Sweida updates, Russian earthquake, A-G backlash

The Jerusalem Post's must-listen news roundup with Shifra Jacobs—the top stories, clear and concise.

JULY 20, 2025ByJERUSALEM POST PODCASTS
JPost Headlines.

What is Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s real strategy? - analysis

It seems that there is now concern in Washington that Damascus is not able to hold things together. Israel has played a complex role in this.

JULY 20, 2025BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Ahmed Al-Sharaa standing atop Mount Qasioun, overlooking the fall of Damascus, December 9, 2024.

US Syria envoy warns trust in new Syrian regime is fractured due to internal clashes

“Syria stands at a critical juncture - peace and dialogue must prevail - and prevail now,” US Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack said. 

JULY 20, 2025ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
US Special Envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack speaks after a meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the presidential palace in Baabda, Lebanon, July 7, 2025.

'No more space in the morgue': Israel sends aid to damaged Sweida hospital in coordination with US

Israel's Health Ministry is preparing the transfer of medical equipment and medications to Sweida's hospital following the recent violent Syrian Druze-Bedouin clashes that have left hundreds dead.

JULY 20, 2025ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
A person, injured in recent clashes in Syria's Sweida province, is transported as casualties receive treatment at a field medical point, following renewed fighting between Bedouin fighters and Druze gunmen, despite an announced truce, in Deraa, Syria July 18, 2025

After multiple rounds of renewed fighting, will the Syria truce finally last? - analysis

The challenge now is whether the two sides can de-escalate. Numerous Bedouin tribes from across Syria mobilized to fight in Sweida.

JULY 19, 2025BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Bedouin fighters stand together, following the Syrian presidency's announcement of a ceasefire after days of violence in Sweida province triggered by clashes between Bedouin fighters and Druze factions, in Sweida, Syria, July 19, 2025

Bodies and looted homes: Syria's Druze reeling after Sweida bloodshed

Residents from the Syrian-Druze city of Sweida described friends and neighbors being shot at close range in their homes or on the streets.

JULY 18, 2025ByREUTERS
A person reacts as casualties from recent clashes in Syria's Sweida province receive treatment at a field medical point, following renewed fighting between Bedouin fighters and Druze gunmen, despite an announced truce, in Deraa, Syria July 18, 2025.

UN pushes for Syrian gov't to end violence against Druze in Sweida

In his statement, Turk condemned the mass displacement and acts of violence in Sweida, including reports of killings, kidnappings, destruction of private property, and looting of homes.

JULY 18, 2025ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
UNITED NATIONS High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk holds a news conference in Damascus, in January. The UN would have condemned Moses and Aaron as war criminals, says the writer.