Sweida Falls Under US Authority – SOHR Report on Syria-Israel Deal
Sweida's hospitals overflow with casualties as Damascus’ new transitional regime aligns with Israel under American supervision—leaving Druze communities devastated and disarmed
Syria, PUREWILAYAH.COM - The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) has confirmed the terms of a sweeping new agreement brokered between Israel and Syria’s transitional government, with direct mediation by the United States.
The deal, claimed to stabilize the crisis in southern Syria, transfers security control of Sweida to US authorities and effectively removes Syrian state influence from the province.
Key provisions include:
Complete withdrawal of Syrian tribal and internal security forces beyond Druze areas;
Local Druze factions tasked with confirming the evacuation;
Establishment of resident-led local councils for governance;
Creation of a US-facing monitoring committee to report violations;
Disarmament of armed groups in Quneitra and Daraa;
Replacement with unarmed local committees;
Exclusive access granted to UN bodies—Syrian government organizations are banned.
This move formalizes US custodianship over Sweida’s security architecture and reflects a broader strategy of containment through decentralization, with international supervision replacing Syrian sovereignty in key southern regions.
Syria-Israel Meeting in Paris Signals Open Normalization Path
In a dramatic diplomatic development, senior Israeli and Syrian officials met in Paris for direct negotiations mediated by Tom Barrack, special envoy of US President Donald Trump.
This unprecedented four-hour meeting—confirmed by multiple sources including Axios and The Times of Israel—marks the highest-level engagement in over 25 years.
Leading the Israeli delegation was Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, while Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani represented the transitional government.
Topics included:
Mechanisms for de-escalation along the southern front;
Coordinated response to HTS violence;
Broader roadmap toward normalization and diplomatic exchange.
As part of the emerging framework, President Trump announced plans to lift all sanctions against Abu Mohammed al-Jolani’s administration, contingent upon full normalization with Israel by 2026—including mutual recognition, ambassadorial exchange, and ceding of the occupied Golan Heights.
Hospitals Collapse Amid Massacres and Medical Siege
Meanwhile, medical sources describe a harrowing scene in Sweida’s main hospitals: corridors filled with wounded, decomposing corpses, and surgeries—some on children—conducted without anesthesia. Dr. Wissam Massoud, a neurosurgeon, called it a “massacre” as HTS forces allegedly executed patients after claiming to bring peace.
Dr. Omar Adel Obeid, head of the local medical association, reported:
500 emergency surgeries in eight days;
Several staff members killed or wounded;
Severe contamination from rotting bodies left for six days;
No access to Damascus hospitals due to armed blockades;
A complete refusal by Syria’s Ministry of Health to deliver medication.
Sweida province has endured 15 days of blackout and water shortage, compounding the crisis. Over 128,000 people have fled, and the death toll exceeds 1,120.
From Resistance to Capitulation: Syria’s Shifting Alignment
The once-resisting Druze population, historically aligned with Assad and opposed to Israeli occupation, now finds itself caught under a US-administered agreement forged with Israeli approval.
Since Assad’s fall in December 2024, Israel has intensified strikes across southern Syria and increased its military presence, particularly near the Golan Heights.
The United Nations has condemned Israel’s actions, including violations of the 1974 ceasefire agreement, while critics argue Tel Aviv is exploiting Syrian disarray for territorial gain.
Under this new arrangement, Syria’s sovereignty is eroded, its southern territory demilitarized, and its path forward increasingly shaped by Tel Aviv and Washington. (PW)