Israel to ‘allow’ Syrian forces entry to conflict-stricken city as violence flares
Israel says it will ‘allow’ Syrian forces to enter own city amid ongoing conflict
- Israel says it will “allow” Syrian security forces to enter the Sweida district of southern Syria for 48 hours due to ongoing instability.
- A Syrian interior ministry spokesperson initially stated forces were preparing to re-enter Sweida to quell renewed fighting, but another spokesperson later denied any government deployment.
- The potential deployment follows a fragile truce that briefly halted bloody clashes between Bedouin and Druze fighters, which reignited after Syrian government forces previously sided with the Bedouins.
- Israel, which had earlier warned against Syrian government troop deployment, has conducted strikes against Syrian forces in Sweida and Damascus, vowing to protect the Druze community.
- The United States, which helped secure the earlier truce, has expressed disagreement with recent Israeli strikes, while Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa accused Israel of attempting to fracture Syria.