After powerful Israeli strikes on Damascus, Syria withdraws troops from Suwayda city to avoid ‘open war’
CNN —
Israel carried out a series of powerful strikes on the Syrian capital Damascus Wednesday, escalating a campaign it says is in support of the country’s Druze population - an
Arab minority group involved in deadly clashes with Syrian government forces.
The strikes, which Syria said killed at least three people in its capital, sent US officials scrambling to prevent a larger clash between the neighboring countries, with Syria agreeing to with withdraw its troops from the southern city of Suwayda and a new ceasefire deal with Druze militia in the area.
In a televised address to the nation early Thursday, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa said the nation was faced with two options: either “an open war” with Israel “at the cost of our Druze citizens,” or allowing Druze clerics “to return to reason and prioritize the national interest.”
“We are not afraid of war, our history is filled with battles to defend our people, but we chose the path that puts the welfare of Syrians above chaos and destruction,” said al-Sharaa.
Israel has stepped up strikes against Syria despite pressure from the US, which has made moves to end the country’s international isolation after rebels seized power following the fall of the Assad regime late last year.
Wednesday’s airstrikes on Damascus targeted several government buildings in the Syrian capital. One video from a Syrian television channel showed the Ministry of Defense building being hit live on air, forcing the anchor to take cover.
In his address Thursday, al-Sharaa accused Israel of trying to divide the Syrian people and vowed to protect the rights of the Druze population.
“The Israeli entity, known for its repeated attempts to destabilize us and sow division, once again seeks to turn our land into a battlefield of chaos and to dismantle the fabric of our people,” he said.
US steps in
US secretary of state Marco Rubio on Wednesday said the Trump administration had engaged with all parties of the conflict to end the clashes in Syria.
“We have agreed on specific steps that will bring this troubling and horrifying situation to an end tonight. This will require all parties to deliver on the commitments they have made and this is what we fully expect them to do,” Rubio said on X.
Rubio also described the latest tension between Israel and Syria as a “misunderstanding” saying, “we have been engaging with them all morning long,” in a video Rubio shared on X showing him in the Oval Office with US President Donald Trump.
The Syrian government said on Wednesday night local time its army forces started withdrawing from Suwayda, according to the country’s state-run SANA news agency. Video on Syrian TV purportedly showed a convoy of military vehicles driving out of Suwayda city.
“The withdrawal of Syrian Arab Army forces from Suwayda has begun, in implementation of the agreement reached between the Syrian state and the Druze religious leadership in the city, following the army’s completion of its mission to pursue outlawed groups,” SANA said.
The Syrian government meanwhile announced a new ceasefire with the Druze but it is unclear whether it will come into force amid splits among the group.
At least 169 people have been killed, and 200 others injured during several days of clashes, the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) said on Wednesday.
The escalating violence included extrajudicial killings, exchanges of artillery, and airstrikes by Israeli forces, the monitoring group said.
CNN cannot independently verify SNHR’s figures and is reaching out to the Syrian government for comment regarding the death toll.
