Israel’s foreign minister accuses Syria’s president after speech
Israel’s Foreign Ministry has accused Syria’s President al-Sharaa of “blaming the victims” after the latter’s speech commented on the recent sectarian clashes in Suwayda, as well as Israeli attacks on the country.
Gideon Saar accused al-Sharaa of spreading “conspiracy theories and accusations” against Israel, in an indication that tensions between the two countries remain high.
Al-Sharaa earlier delivered a televised speech calling on Syrians to shun division and act in a spirit of reconciliation, following the announcement of an “immediate and comprehensive” ceasefire in response to sectarian violence around Druze-majority Suwayda.
Syrian gov’t faces ‘mammoth’ challenges in Suwayda
Inside Suwayda itself, the fighting is still ongoing.
This is while the forces of the Interior Ministry are deploying their elements in some of the villages that are under the control of the Bedouin tribal forces, and they are trying to reach some of the parts of the city of Suwayda where that fighting is taking place, but it is a very risky job.
It’s going to be a huge task for the state, particularly that, right now, there is still no access to the victims inside Suwayda. There is destroyed infrastructure in terms of water, electricity and homes and deserted neighbourhoods.
There are about 80,000 people who fled, according to the International Organization of Migration. They have to be taken care of. You have people who fled into Deraa and other parts of the desert around Suwayda.
To go and reach all those people with aid and with the facilities they need to survive is a huge task, particularly when the fighting is still ongoing. You have so many victims, you have so many people who have been displaced, and so many people who are wounded – just to reach everyone is a mammoth task at the moment.
