Benjamin Netanyahu says the Syrian ceasefire was achieved through the use of force, as the death toll rises to 516.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Thursday that the calm achieved in southern Syria , after days of massacres against the Arab Druze minority and Israeli bombings against Damascus yesterday , was achieved through the use of force.
Damage to the Syrian Defense Ministry headquarters after the Israeli attack. Photo: EFE
"This is a ceasefire that... was achieved by force. Not by requests or pleas, but by force. We achieved peace by force , tranquility by force, security by force, on seven fronts," the president said in a video message, in which he insisted that Israel would not allow troops from the new Syrian regime to be deployed south of Damascus.
Netanyahu also said that there is a clear policy towards the neighboring country: to demilitarize the area south of Damascus , "from the Golan Heights to the Druze mountains," as well as "to protect the brothers of our brothers," referring to the Druze on the other side of the Golan Heights territory occupied by Israel since 1967.
"Both lines were violated by the Damascus regime. It sent an army south of Damascus, to the area that was supposed to be demilitarized, and began massacring the Druze. We couldn't accept this under any circumstances ," he added.
Israel attacked Syrian troops heading south, but also bombed the Ministry of Defense and the vicinity of the Presidential Palace in Damascus yesterday , in an escalation that only calmed down hours later.
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa announced Thursday the "success" of efforts to stem the outbreak of violence in the southern province of Al-Suwayda, whose security will be left in the hands of local factions and religious leaders.
A vehicle burns on a street after the withdrawal of Syrian government forces. Photo: AFP
"The state's efforts to restore stability and expel outlawed factions have been successful (...) Thanks to the effective intervention of American, Arab, and Turkish mediation, the region was saved from an uncertain fate," the president declared in a televised address.
In this regard, he explained that they have decided to leave security in Al-Suida in the hands of local factions and religious leaders, after the arrival of government forces to take over those duties on Tuesday sparked intense clashes between them and local groups, which were joined by Israel.
"We were faced with two options: opening a war with the Israeli entity at the expense of our Druze people and their security, destabilizing Syria and the entire region. Or allowing the Druze sheikhs and scholars to come to their senses and prioritize the national interest," Al Sharaa declared during his address.
At least 516 people have died in Syria's southern province of Suwayda, an NGO reported Thursday, issuing an updated toll after several days of clashes.
Damage to the Syrian Defense Ministry headquarters after the Israeli attack. Photo: EFE
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) counted, among others, 79 Druze fighters and 154 civilians from Suwayda among the dead , including 83 people "who were executed by members of the Ministries of Defense and Interior."
The clashes also claimed the lives of government personnel and Bedouin fighters. In addition , 15 people were killed in Israeli airstrikes.
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