The link below has several videos, though they show a lot of the dead, so be warned. Consequently, Israel’s strikes would appear to have been pretty effective. But one thing is sure, the Muslims want to get rid of the other religious sects. Consequently, the Syrian civil war was about competing pipelines between Iran and Saudi Arabia to get natural gas to Europe, but it would seem America and the megacorps were happy to make it a stalemate as they’re shipping a lot of natural gas to Europe, and the Ukrainian war with Russian sanctions made sure they receive top dollar.
Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa early on July 17 confirmed the withdrawal of all government forces from al-Suwayda and accused Israel of pursuing “chaos and destruction” after it launched strikes in support of Druze in the southern governorate.
Government forces intervened in al-Suwayda on July 14, a day after clashes broke out there between Druze fighters and Sunni Bedouins. The government said that it sent the military and security forces to end the conflict. However, it ended up leading a large-scale offensive against the Druze.
Israel launched strikes in support of the Druze, whom it vowed to protect after the fall of the Assad regime last December, and escalated on July 16, going as far as targeting the presidential palace and the headquarters of the defense ministry in Damascus.
After taking heavy losses, reportedly more than 700 fatalities, the government withdrew from al-Suwayda overnight, and Druze fighters re-entered the city.
In his first televised statement after the withdrawal, Sharaa addressed Druze citizens, saying, “We reject any attempt to drag you into the hands of an external party.”
“We are not among those who fear 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 in remarks addressed at Israel.
Sharaa went on in his early morning speech to stress that the Syrian people were ready to fight if their dignity is threatened.
The Syrian President also alleged that “the Israeli entity resorted to a wide-scale targeting of civilian and government facilities.”
This led to a “significant complication of the situation and pushed matters to a large-scale escalation, except for the effective intervention of American, Arab and Turkish mediation, which saved the region from an unknown fate,” he added.
Sharaa vowed that those behind violence against the Druze minority, which led Israel to intervene, would be held responsible.
“We are keen on holding accountable those who transgressed and abused our Druze people, as they are under the protection and responsibility of the state,” Sharaa said.
The Syrian leader told the Druze community it was “a fundamental part of the fabric of this nation… protecting your rights and freedom is one of our priorities.”
Videos from al-Suwadya and its countryside show the dead bodies of dozens of Druze civilians, including elderly, women and children, who were reportedly executed by government forces before the withdrawal. They also show much destruction in the city, where mass looting clearly took place.
The footage mirrors the massacres that took place on the Syrian coast during a government crackdown on an uprising by the Alawites last March. At the time, more than 1,600 Alawite civilians were killed by government forces. The government promised to investigate and hold the perpetrators responsible, but none of these promises have materialized yet.
The number of casualties in al-Suwayda may be as high. It is also very doubtful that any of the perpetrators will be held accountable by the government, which sent them to the Druze-majority governorate in the first place.
All in all, the defeat in al-Suwayda was a blow to Syria’s Islamist-led government. Sharaa’s image was heavily damaged, both as a national leader, because he failed to protect the Druze, and as an Islamist leader, because he was attacked by Israel without fighting back.
It is unclear how the situation evolves from here. However, al-Suwayda is now a Druze-ruled autonomous region. The Syrian government will not likely be able to restore control over the governorate any time soon.
Same goes with the areas controlled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in the governorates of Aleppo, Raqqa, Deir Ezzor and al-Hasakah in northern and eastern Syria. The Kurds, who are more armed and organized than the Druze, will not likely accept any cooperation with government forces after the events on the coast and al-Suwayda.
Meanwhile, the situation on the coast will not likely change for the time being, as Alawites lack the support both the Druze and Kurds have.
As for Syria’s talks with Israel, they will likely go on as Sharaa has no other real option. Another confrontation with Israel could mark the end of his government.