TUNIS, July 19. /TASS/. Israeli meddling compounded the tensions in Syria and threatened its stability, Syrian Interim Ahmed al-Sharaa said in a national address in connection with clashes in the southern parts of the country.
"The Israeli intervention has again exacerbated tensions and pushed the country into a dangerous phase that threatens its stability with bombings of the country’s south and government offices in Damascus," he said. "We appreciate the important role the US has played in reaffirming its support for Syria in these difficult circumstances. The EU, Russia and China have taken a firm stance in condemning Israeli bombing and repeated violations of Syria's sovereignty."
Al-Sharaa reaffirmed that the province of Sweida remains an integral part of Syria and the Druze are a "fundamental part of the Syrian national structure." He assured that the government is committed to protecting all minorities and faiths in the country and continues to bring all perpetrators to justice.
Earlier on Saturday, al-Sharaa announced an immediate ceasefire in the Sweida province to end clashes between militias and Druze self-defense forces.
US special envoy for Syria Tom Barrack earlier said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and al-Sharaa had agreed to a Washington-brokered ceasefire.
Tensions in southern Syria escalated on July 13, with clashes erupting between Arab tribal militias and Druze self-defense forces. On July 15, Syrian forces entered the city of Sweida and began mopping it up. Shortly after, Israel started striking Syrian military convoys, arguing that it was seeking to protect the Druze population of the province. On July 16, the Israeli Air Force struck some strategic targets in Damascus.
The Druze are an Arabic-speaking ethnic and religious group whose members live in Syria, Lebanon, Israel and Jordan. The 700,000 Druze in Syria make up the country’s third-largest religious and ethnic minority after the Kurds and Alawites.