When the Syrian civil war erupted in March 2011, Syrian Druze were targeted at times by both the Assad regime, which pressured them to support it, and by Islamist rebel groups that regarded them as infidels. The Druze straddled a fine line throughout the war, seeking, not always successfully, to be left on their own.

Armed Bedouin clans have withdrawn from the Druze-majority Syrian city of Sweida after a week of deadly clashes. A U.S.

Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa's government responded by deploying forces to the city. Druze residents of Suweida told the BBC they had witnessed "barbaric acts" as gunmen - government forces and foreign fighters - attacked people. Israel targeted these forces, saying they were acting to protect the Druze.

Israel delivered emergency medical supplies to the Syrian city of As-Suwayda on Sunday, following a week of intense sectarian violence that killed over 1,100 people and heavily damaged the local hospital. The operation, coordinated with the United States and conveyed via the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

U.S. envoy to Syria Tom Barrack says that Israel and Syria have agreed to a ceasefire following Israel’s intervention this week in fighting between Syrian government forces and .

The Druze spiritual leadership in Syria were at the heart of a negotiated ceasefire agreement, which permits Druze civilians living in and around Suweida city, to leave on safe routes and ensures government security forces prevent Bedouin fighters from entering the area.

Syria’s interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa has urged Sunni Bedouin tribes to honor a ceasefire aimed at ending deadly clashes with Druze-linked militias