American diplomacy has taken centre stage in the West Asian theatre yet again, with Israel and Syria reaching a fragile ceasefire following a spate of violent ethnic clashes and Israeli strikes in Damascus. The agreement, brokered by the United States, has been hailed as a strategic breakthrough by Washington.
The truce comes on the heels of Israel’s intensified military actions targeting Syria’s defence ministry, triggered by escalating tensions among Druze, Bedouins and Sunni groups in southern Syria. The Syrian interim leadership, under Ahmad al-Sharaa, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have reportedly accepted terms set forth by the US administration under President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
US ambassador to Turkiye Tom Barrack, in a statement on social media platform X, confirmed Washington’s role and made a broader appeal for communal harmony.
“We call upon Druze, Bedouins, and Sunnis to put down their weapons and, together with other minorities, build a new and united Syrian identity in peace and prosperity with its neighbours,” Barrack wrote.
He added that the ceasefire had been “embraced” by Turkiye and Jordan, two of Syria’s key neighbours that have expressed concern over regional destabilisation.
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The conflict reached boiling point after a week of intense clashes in southern Syria, with Druze factions, long seen as a complex player with ties to both Iranian and Israeli camps, at the centre of the confrontation.
Since the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime last year, Israel has widened its territorial reach beyond the occupied Golan Heights, citing “strategic threats” posed by the HTS-led Syrian interim administration. Damascus, in turn, has accused the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) of “covert annexation” operations, claiming that thousands of square kilometres have been illegally occupied.
In a detailed statement issued Thursday, Netanyahu outlined Israel’s red lines for future stability in the region:
“Israel had set two rules for Syria: the demilitarisation of the region south of Damascus and the protection of the Druze community.”
The United States has taken a bold step in reshaping regional dynamics by revoking both the terrorist designation of HTS leader al-Sharaa and longstanding sanctions imposed on Damascus since the 1980s.
In a controversial endorsement last month, Barrack likened al-Sharaa’s political transformation to that of George Washington, saying the former militant’s ascension marked “a revolutionary shift from armed struggle to statecraft.”
The ceasefire, while welcomed by regional powers, remains fraught with uncertainty. Critics point to the volatility of local militias and the fragile legitimacy of the Syrian interim government.
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