Sweida

Israel must stop Damascus from absorbing Sweida - opinion

Damascus’s plan for Sweida could reshape Israel’s northern frontier.

|ByAMINE AYOUB
A drone view shows the remains of a destroyed tank, following deadly clashes between Druze fighters, Sunni Bedouin tribes and government forces, in Syria's predominantly Druze city of Sweida, Syria July 25, 2025.
Members of the military police stand near a bus carrying released detainees during a prisoner exchange between the Syrian government and Druze factions, in Sweida, Syria, February 26, 2026.

US efforts helped pave way for Syria-Druze deal, source tells 'Post'

Months of US diplomacy paved the way for a historic detainee swap between Damascus and the Druze of Sweida, marking a breakthrough in Syrian peace efforts.

|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Syrian security forces walk together along a street, after clashes between Syrian government troops and local Druze fighters resumed in the southern Druze city of Sweida early on Wednesday, in Sweida, Syria July 16, 2025.

Damascus, Druze forces exchange prisoners after Sweida violence

The swap involved Damascus releasing 61 prisoners from the Druze factions detained in Adra Central Prison near the capital.

|ByREUTERS
A Syrian man takes up arms at a gasoline station in a frontline village on January 23, 2026 in Sweida, Syria.

Syrian government, Druze renew participation in new US-backed talks - report

Reports say that a prisoner deal in Sweida could pave the way for a deal that resolves the crisis with Damascus and provides locals with administrative and security powers.

|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN

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.