Wed Jul 16 02:11:16 UTC 2025: **News Article:**
**Israeli Airstrikes Hit Southern Syria After Truce Collapses**
**Suwayda, Syria** – Israeli forces launched airstrikes on Suwayda, a predominantly Druze city in southern Syria, on Tuesday, escalating the already volatile situation after a declared ceasefire crumbled. The strikes followed renewed clashes between Syrian government forces and armed groups, with both sides trading accusations of violating the truce.
The Syrian Ministry of Interior claimed that armed groups, backed by the Israeli Air Force, had resumed attacks on government forces. This accusation was strongly condemned by Syria as a violation of international law. However, influential Druze Sheikh Hikmat al-Hajri asserted that Syrian government troops had initiated the breach of the ceasefire. Al-Hajri had urged local fighters to confront what he described as a “barbaric attack” from government forces prior to the Israeli strikes.
Israel stated that its intervention aimed to protect the Druze minority, whom it views as potential allies. Israeli Minister of Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli stated that Israel could not “stand idly by” while the Druze were engaged in fighting.
The violence follows days of intense clashes between Bedouin tribes and local Druze fighters in Suwayda, resulting in over 30 deaths and more than 100 injuries since Sunday. Longstanding tensions between the two groups have frequently led to outbreaks of violence.
United States envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, said Washington was in contact with all sides “to navigate towards calm and integration.”
This latest escalation comes hours after Syrian Minister of Defence Murhaf Abu Qasra announced a ceasefire in Suwayda, following the deployment of government forces to halt the fighting. The recent violence marks the first deadly outbreak in the area since clashes between the Druze community and security forces earlier this year.
Syria’s Druze population, numbering around 700,000, primarily resides in Suwayda province.
Israel has conducted hundreds of airstrikes in Syria since December 2024, averaging approximately one every three to four days. The strikes also coincide with the ongoing conflict in Gaza, where Israeli military actions have resulted in a high number of Palestinian casualties, as well as attacks in the occupied West Bank, Lebanon, Iran and Yemen in recent months.
First Piper 