France, UK, Japan welcome ceasefire in Syria’s Suwayda
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has declared a ceasefire in the southern province of Suwayda, after days of deadly clashes between Druze and Bedouin factions that were compounded by Israeli military intervention.
Countries around the world have been welcoming the announcement, which followed a separate US-brokered deal to avert further Israeli attacks.
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy said in a post on X that he was horrified by the violence in southern Syria and that “a sustainable ceasefire is vital”.
The French Foreign Ministry stressed the need for “Syrian authorities to ensure the safety and rights of all segments of the Syrian people” and called for investigations into abuses against civilians in Suwayda.
Japan also expressed concern over the violence, including the Israeli strikes, and called for the ceasefire to be implemented swiftly.
Rubio says US ‘heavily involved’ in talks on southern Syria
The secretary of state says the US has been speaking to Israel, Jordan and Syria over the last three days about “the horrifying and dangerous developments in southern Syria”.
“If authorities in Damascus want to preserve any chance of achieving a unified, inclusive and peaceful Syria free of ISIS and of Iranian control they must help end this calamity,” Marco Rubio wrote in a post on social media, using another name for ISIL.
He added that Syrian forces should “prevent ISIS and any other violent jihadists from entering the area and carrying out massacres”.
“Furthermore the fighting between Druze and Bedouin groups inside the perimeter must also stop immediately,” he said.
The Syrian government said its forces have cleared Bedouin fighters from the predominantly Druze city of Suwayda after President al-Sharaa ordered a new ceasefire between Bedouin and Druze groups.
