Tensions Simmer as Bedouin Fighters Threaten Return to Suweida Despite Ceasefire

‎Following a week of intense sectarian clashes in southern Syria, Bedouin fighters have announced a conditional ceasefire with the Druze community in Suweida  but have warned that the fragile truce could collapse if their demands are not met.

‎Having withdrawn to nearby villages, the Bedouin militants say they are prepared to storm the city once again if their injured comrades, whom they claim are being held as hostages, are not released.

‎“We honoured the agreement, but our wounded remain in Suweida. If this continues, we’ll return even if it becomes our graveyard,” one tribal elder stated.

The conflict was sparked by the recent abduction of a Druze merchant on the highway to Damascus, which triggered retaliatory attacks between Druze militias, Bedouin tribesmen, and forces aligned with Syria’s interim government.

‎Reports suggest Israel intervened with airstrikes, claiming to protect the Druze population.

‎According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, over 1,120 people have died in the violence, including hundreds of Druze fighters and civilians, government security personnel, and Bedouin tribesmen. Disturbingly, many deaths have been linked to summary executions allegedly carried out by both sides and members of state security forces.

‎The humanitarian impact has been severe. More than 128,000 people have been displaced, and the city of Suweida faces a dire shortage of medical supplies. Aid has begun trickling in from the Syrian Red Crescent and, reportedly, from Israel.

Control of Suweida has now returned to local Druze forces. However, with the situation volatile and trust between communities shattered, displaced families like those now sheltering in Mia’rbah fear a lasting peace remains elusive.

‎Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called on Syrian authorities to investigate and prosecute all those responsible for atrocities, including those within government ranks, to restore prospects for national unity and stability.