The US has stepped in to stop the escalating tensions between Israel and Syria as Washington raised concerns over the sectarian violence in the Syrian province of Suweida.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he was “very worried” about the violence in the Druze majority province but believed it would end within hours.
“We have agreed on specific steps that will bring this troubling and horrifying situation to an end tonight,” Rubio wrote on X.
Syria’s foreign minister welcomed the efforts made by the US and Arab sides to “resolve the current crisis” peacefully, reported the BBC.
Israel, however, has not commented on the ceasefire bid.
On Wednesday, Israel’s military struck the Syrian defence ministry in Damascus and government forces in southern Syria as deadly sectarian fighting continued in Suweida for a fourth day.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the country’s forces were “working to save our Druze brothers and to eliminate the regime’s gangs”. The Syrian foreign ministry accused Israel of “treacherous aggression”.
According to Syria’s state news agency Sana, Syrian troops have started to withdraw from Suweida.
Turkey Conveys Views To Israel
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Wednesday that Ankara has conveyed its views regarding Israel’s air strikes on Syria to Israeli authorities via its intelligence agency, reported Reuters.
Turkey has condemned Israel’s attack against other regional countries, including Lebanon, Iran, and Syria. It has also slammed Israel for its military operations in Gaza as genocide. Ankara has suspended all trade and recalled its ambassador in Tel Aviv for consultations, too.
Fidan stated that he was in close contact with Tom Barrack, the U.S. Special Envoy for Syria, and the U.S. Ambassador to Turkey. The Turkish minister added that he had discussed the issue in phone calls with his counterparts in Syria, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia.
“At the same time, we have conveyed our views on the matter to the Israelis via our intelligence agency, that we do not want an instability here,” Fidan said while speaking to state media in New York.
