Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa stated on Thursday that safeguarding the Druze population and their rights is a top priority, following Israel’s pledge to target Syrian government forces accused of attacking Druze communities in southern Syria.
Here are the top ten updates:
1. In his first televised address since Israel’s heavy airstrikes on Damascus the previous day, Sharaa assured the Druze community, saying, “We reject any attempt to drag you into the hands of an external party.”
2. “We are not among those who fear the war. We have spent our lives facing challenges and defending our people, but we have put the interests of the Syrians before chaos and destruction,” he said, as reported by Reuters. He added that the Syrian people are not afraid of war and are ready to fight if their dignity is threatened.
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3. Sharaa further condemned Israel’s widespread attacks on both civilian and government sites, pledging to hold accountable those “who abused the Druze people”, as reported by AFP. He also noted that security in Druze areas would be entrusted to local elders and community factions. Sharaa is struggling to reunify Syria amid deep distrust from various groups concerned about the potential rise of Islamist governance. Tensions worsened in March following mass killings targeting the Alawite minority, further straining intercommunal relations, Reuters reported.
4. The United Nations Security Council will meet on Thursday to address the conflict, diplomats said. “The council must condemn the barbaric crimes committed against innocent civilians on Syrian soil,” said Israel’s ambassador to the U.N., Danny Danon, as reported by Reuters. “Israel will continue to act resolutely against any terrorist threat on its borders, anywhere and at any time.”
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5. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said all the parties involved in the clashes have agreed to stop the violence soon. “We have agreed on specific steps that will bring this troubling and horrifying situation to an end tonight,” he said in a post on X, without providing details. Rubio earlier said the US was “very concerned” and “we want it to stop,” though stopped short of calling on Israel to halt its actions.
6. According to a report by Reuters, Sweida residents said they were holed up indoors. “We are surrounded and we hear the fighters screaming … we’re so scared,” a resident of Sweida said by phone.
7. Cracks of gunfire interspersed by booms could be heard in the background. “We’re trying to keep the children quiet so that no one can hear us,” the man added, asking not to be identified for fear of reprisals. According to Syria’s health ministry, dozens of bodies, both civilians and fighters, were found in a hospital in the city.
8. The Syrian Network for Human Rights reported that 169 people have died in the violence this week, while security sources estimated the death toll at 300. Reuters was unable to independently confirm these figures, Reuters reported.
We are not among those who fear the war. We have spent our lives facing challenges and defending our people.
9. Since the fall of Assad’s government, Syria’s Druze population, estimated at around 700,000 has strengthened its ties with Israel, which is home to about 150,000 Druze.
10. The Druze are an Arab minority whose religion branched off from Islam. Numbering around 1 million globally, they primarily reside in Syria, Lebanon, and Israel.