Katia Kahil, 13:00 - Reading : 6 minute(s)
While Syria’s Sweida province remains on edge following July’s deadly clashes, the reverberations are deeply felt across the border in Hasbaya. In this part of southern Lebanon—as elsewhere in the Druze world—identity transcends borders. The people of Hasbaya have lived this tragedy as their own, with Druze Sheikh al-Aql, Sami Abi ...
This is Beirut, 28/07 16:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Damascus United Nations Druze Aid
A new humanitarian aid convoy reached southern Syria's Druze heartland on Monday, official media said, as the United Nations warned the humanitarian situation in Sweida province was critical after deadly violence. Clashes in Druze-majority Sweida province, which began on July 13 and ended with a ceasefire a week later, initially involved Druze ...
This is Beirut, 24/07 13:00 - Reading : 1 minute(s)
Sweida Druze Syria Sami Abi al-Mona
Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Sami Abi al-Mona called on Thursday for urgent humanitarian action to support the people of Sweida, who have been deeply affected by recent violent clashes. Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Abi al-Mona described a dire situation in the Syrian governorate, pointing to significant civilian casualties and ...
Natasha Metni Torbey, 24/07 13:00 - Reading : 6 minute(s)
Damascus Israel Druze Minority
Since July 13, deadly clashes in Syria’s southern province of Sweida have left more than 1,300 people dead, including at least 630 local residents, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The violence erupted after the abduction of a merchant from the Druze community, triggering a wave of bloodshed that underscores the region’s ...
Hussain Abdul-Hussain, 22/07 15:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Lebanon Syria Middle East Druze Kurds United States
Self-determination in the Middle East is inconsistent. For Muslim Palestinians, statehood is seen as an unfulfilled destiny. Yet for religious minorities like the Druze or ethnic groups like the Kurds, pursuing sovereignty is branded as betrayal or capitulation to imperialism. There’s no clear logic to why Israel should be divided into two ...
Philippe Abi Akl, 22/07 08:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
Israel Benjamin Netanyahu Syria Sweida Bedouin Ahmad al-Sharaa Druze
As heavy clashes enter their second week in Syria’s southern province of Sweida, pitting Druze factions against tribal groups backed by the Syrian Army and security forces, Israel’s quiet but deliberate involvement is raising alarm. Official claims of protecting Syria’s Druze are met with widespread skepticism. The real story lies in Tel ...
This is Beirut, 20/07 14:46 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Calm returned to southern Syria's Sweida province on Sunday, a monitor and AFP correspondents reported, after a week of sectarian violence between Druze fighters and rival groups that killed more than 1,000 people. A ceasefire announced on Saturday appeared to be holding after earlier agreements failed to end fighting between longtime rivals ...
This is Beirut, 19/07 17:15 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Syria Sweida Druze Israel United States
Syrian Bedouin and their allies fought Druze fighters in the community's Sweida heartland for a seventh day Saturday despite a ceasefire ordered by the government following a US-brokered deal to avert further Israeli military intervention. AFP correspondents reported clashes in the west of the provincial capital as Druze fighters battled ...
This is Beirut, 19/07 00:10 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
Armed tribes supported by Syria's Islamist-led government clashed with Druze fighters in the community's Sweida heartland on Friday, a day after the army withdrew under Israeli bombardment and diplomatic pressure. The United Nations called for an end to the "bloodshed" and demanded an "independent" investigation of the ...
This is Beirut, 18/07 15:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Sweida Lebanon Tribes Syria Conflict Druze
The Arab tribes of Khaldeh and Mount Lebanon released a firm statement on Friday condemning the violence in Syria’s Sweida province, describing it as a “dangerous sedition” that threatens Syria’s unity and could spill into Lebanon. In a heartfelt appeal, the tribes addressed their Syrian counterparts, especially those in Sweida and Daraa, ...
Sana Richa Choucair, 18/07 15:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Clashes between Druze groups and government forces backed by tribal militias in the Syrian city of Sweida have claimed more than 500 lives since Sunday. Alongside this unprecedented wave of violence in this southern region, several Lebanese municipalities, mostly in Druze villages, have introduced preventive measures against foreigners, especially ...
This is Beirut, 18/07 13:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Lebanon Druze Sunni Sweida Unity Sectarianism
In a joint appeal for unity and restraint, Sheikh Akl of the Druze community, Sheikh Sami Abi al-Mona, and Grand Mufti of the Republic, Sheikh Abdel Latif Derian, emphasized on Friday the importance of preserving national and intercommunal harmony amid the escalating violence in Syria’s Sweida region. In a phone conversation, the two ...