This is Beirut

Syria Forces Deploy in Druze Heartland after US Brokers Deal with Israel

This is Beirut, 13:55 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Syrian interior ministry forces began deploying in Sweida on Saturday under a US-brokered deal intended to avert further Israeli military intervention in the Druze-majority province. Israel had bombed defense ministry forces in both Sweida and Damascus earlier this week to force their withdrawal after they were accused of summary executions and ...

Baabda Hosts Security Meeting to Address Prison Overcrowding

This is Beirut, 18/07 15:50 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Lebanon Joseph Aoun prisons Syria Sweida

President Joseph Aoun chaired a ministerial and security meeting on Friday morning at the Presidential Palace, primarily focused on the situation in Lebanese prisons and the aggravating issue of overcrowding. The participants discussed urgent measures to address the saturation of detention facilities, particularly concerning judicial procedures, ...

When Sweida Exposes Lebanon’s Fault Lines: What’s at Stake for the Country?

Sana Richa Choucair, 18/07 15:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Druze Sweida Syria Lebanon

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 ...

Rasamny Denies Tripoli Exit Rumors Amid Sweida Tensions

This is Beirut, 18/07 14:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Fayez Rasamny Najib Mikati Tripoli Port Sweida Lebanon

Public Works and Transport Minister Fayez Rasamny denied on Friday rumors claiming he cut short his visit to Tripoli due to security threats linked to recent clashes in Syria’s Sweida province. Rasamny said his visit was completed as scheduled and focused on launching development projects at the city’s port. “My visit was not ...

Syria Tribes Clash with Druze Fighters Near Sweida: Combatants, Monitor

This is Beirut, 18/07 13:50 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Sweida Syria Tribes Druze

Armed tribes supported by Syria's Islamist-led government clashed with Druze fighters outside Sweida Friday a day after government troops withdrew from the Druze-majority city, the warring parties and a monitoring group said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported "clashes west of Sweida pitting tribal fighters and Bedouin supported by ...

Sweida: Druze and Sunni Religious Authorities in Lebanon Issue Joint Call for Unity and Restraint

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 ...

Erdogan Accuses Israel of Using Druze as Pretext to Expand Into Syria

This is Beirut, 17/07 20:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Damascus Israel Erdogan Druze Syria Sweida

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday accused Israel of using the Druze minority in Syria as a pretext for expanding into the war-torn country. "Israel, using the Druze as an excuse, has been expanding its banditry into neighboring Syria over the past two days," Erdogan said in a televised speech after the weekly cabinet meeting. "I ...

Syria Troops Quit Druze Heartland After Violence Leaves Over 500 Dead

This is Beirut, 17/07 19:35 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Benjamin Netanyahu Damascus Israel Sweida

Syrian troops pulled out of the Druze heartland province of Sweida on orders from the Islamist-led government, following days of deadly clashes that killed more than 500 people, according to a war monitor. The southern province has been gripped by deadly sectarian bloodshed since Sunday, with hundreds reportedly killed in clashes pitting Druze ...

Syrian Forces Begin Withdrawal from Sweida Following Ceasefire

This is Beirut, 16/07 23:32 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Syria Sweida Israel

The Syrian army began withdrawing from the Druze-majority city of Sweida on Wednesday, the Ministry of Defense announced, following the conclusion of a ceasefire aimed at ending deadly intercommunal violence. "The army forces have started to withdraw from the city of Sweida in implementation of the terms of the agreement, following the ...

Salam Calls on the Lebanese to Avoid Any Discord

This is Beirut, 16/07 23:15 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Lebanon Syria Sweida Nawaf Salam Druzes

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam urged the Lebanese people, on Wednesday evening, to "avoid discord and prioritize the national interest above all else." In a message posted on his X account, Salam said he had held a series of discussions with the relevant ministers and heads of security agencies, asking them to "take the necessary measures to protect ...

Violence in Sweida: Lebanese Druze Call on International Community for Action

This is Beirut, 16/07 19:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Druze Sweida Lebanon violence

An emergency meeting in solidarity with the Druze of Sweida was held on Wednesday in the village of Sharoun, in the Aley district, at the invitation of the religious authority of the Druze community in Lebanon. Numerous dignitaries, religious leaders, and members of parliament gathered around the Sheikh Akl, Sami Abu el-Mona. In his ...

Sweida Caught Between Damascus and Israel

Mario Chartouni, 16/07 19:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Damascus Israel Syria Sweida Druzes

The majority-Druze city of Sweida in southern Syria has been thrust into an unprecedented spiral of violence since Sunday, as fierce clashes between the Syrian army, backed by Bedouin militias, and local Druze armed groups have escalated dramatically. The fighting has been marked by intense combat, summary executions, a deepening humanitarian ...

Sweida