Damascus, July 17, (dpa/GNA) – Syrian authorities on Wednesday evening, announced a new ceasefire agreement for the southern province of Sweida, following days of fighting, but it remained highly uncertain whether peace would prevail after a local leader of the Druze minority rejected the deal.
It comes after the collapse of a short-lived truce, just a day earlier, to bring an end to violent sectarian clashes that are said to have claimed more than 300 lives, and prompted Israel to attack targets across Syria, including in Damascus.
“An agreement was reached for a ceasefire in Sweida and for the establishment of security checkpoints across the city,” it said in a statement carried by state news agency SANA, citing a source from the Interior Ministry.
The terms of the agreement were announced by Sheikh Yusuf al-Jarbou, one of the spiritual leaders of the Druze community, in a statement broadcast by state media.
According to al-Jarbou, Sweida will be fully reintegrated into the Syrian state. He said the agreement calls for the reactivation of state institutions and services, as well as a commitment to uphold the rights of citizens based on justice and equality.
However, another Druze religious leader who is reportedly close to Israel denied that a deal had been struck, calling on Druze fighters to continue to resist.
In a statement signed by Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, he demanded the unconditional liberation of all of Sweida from government and rival forces and urged the remaining fighters from these groups to surrender peacefully.
GNA