U.S. envoy Thomas Barrack on Sunday morning issued a forceful appeal for an immediate end to the escalating violence in southern Syria, warning that the country’s fragile transition toward peace was at risk.
“All factions must immediately lay down their arms,” Barrack, who serves as both the U.S. ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria, posted on X. He called on tribal groups to end retaliation and support national reconciliation, emphasizing that peace and dialogue “must prevail—and prevail now.”
President Trump’s decision to lift sanctions was a principled step, offering the Syrian people a chance to move beyond years of unimaginable suffering and atrocities. The international community has largely rallied behind the nascent Syrian government, watching with cautious…
— Ambassador Tom Barrack (@USAMBTurkiye) July 20, 2025
His warning comes amid mounting uncertainty over a U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Syria and Israel, announced by Barrack late on Friday. The truce followed several days of massacres by Sunni jihadists aligned with the Syrian regime, targeting the Druze minority in Sweida Province.
Though endorsed by regional powers including Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon, the truce quickly began to unravel. Fighting flared again over the weekend in Sweida, with deadly clashes breaking out between Druze militias, Bedouin fighters and Syrian government forces. Human rights monitors report that more than 120 people have been killed, with thousands displaced.
Soon after Barrack announced the ceasefire, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s office issued a statement declaring an “immediate ceasefire” and urging “all parties to fully respect” the agreement.
Al-Sharaa—also known as Abu Mohammed al-Julani and a former leader of Al-Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate—later gave a televised address in which he said, “The Syrian state is committed to protecting all minorities and communities in the country. ... We condemn all crimes committed in Sweida.”
U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent decision to lift sanctions on Syria was meant to support the country’s tentative move toward lasting peace and national unity after more than a decade of civil war.
Barrack described the policy shift as “a principled step” designed to give Syrians a chance to escape “years of unimaginable suffering and atrocities.” He cautioned, however, that ongoing violence by rival armed groups threatens to derail that progress.
“Brutal acts by warring factions ... undermine the government’s authority and disrupt any semblance of order,” Barrack wrote in his post.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a stern warning hours earlier, stating in an X post that “the U.S. has remained heavily involved over the last three days with Israel, Jordan, and authorities in Damascus regarding the horrifying and dangerous developments in southern Syria.”
Directly addressing the atrocities, the top American diplomat wrote: “The rape and slaughter of innocent people, which has occurred and is still occurring, must end.”
The U.S. has remained heavily involved over the last three days with Israel, Jordan and authorities in Damascus on the horrifying & dangerous developments in southern Syria.
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) July 20, 2025
The rape and slaughter of innocent people which has and is still occuring must end.
If authorities in…
Rubio continued: “If authorities in Damascus want to preserve any chance of achieving a unified, inclusive, and peaceful Syria—free of ISIS and Iranian control—they must help end this calamity by using their security forces to prevent ISIS and other violent jihadists from entering the area and carrying out massacres. They must also hold accountable and bring to justice anyone guilty of atrocities, including those within their own ranks.
“Furthermore, the fighting between Druze and Bedouin groups within the perimeter must stop immediately,” he concluded.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar rejected al-Sharaa’s remarks, calling them “a display of support for the jihadist attackers.”
“Al-Sharaa spiced all this with conspiracy theories and accusations against Israel,” said Sa’ar. “Bottom line: In al-Sharaa’s Syria, it is very dangerous to be a member of a minority—Kurd, Druze, Alawite or Christian. This has been proven time and again over the past six months.”
He urged the international community to “ensure the security and rights of minorities in Syria, and to make Syria’s reentry into the international community conditional on their protection.”
The European Union also responded to the ceasefire, expressing horror at the recent sectarian violence. “Now is the time for dialogue and for advancing a truly inclusive transition,” read an official statement from Brussels. “Syria’s transitional authorities, together with local leaders, bear the responsibility to protect all Syrians without discrimination.” The E.U. called for accountability for those responsible for “grave violations” of international law.
As of Sunday, updated reports from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights estimate that more than 1,000 people have been killed in southern Syria—primarily in Sweida Province.
Among the dead are 336 Druze fighters and 298 Druze civilians. According to rights monitors, at least 194 Druze civilians were executed without trial by forces affiliated with Syria’s Interior and Defense ministries. Government-aligned troops have also suffered major losses, with around 342 personnel killed in ongoing clashes across the region.
Meanwhile, fighting involving Sunni Bedouin groups has left at least 21 of their fighters dead, along with three Bedouin civilians reportedly executed by Druze militias. Israeli airstrikes, aimed at halting regime advances and weakening paramilitary positions, also killed at least 15 Syrian soldiers last week.
The violence has forced thousands to flee their homes amid what humanitarian organizations describe as a “fast-deteriorating situation.” Reports of extrajudicial killings, retaliatory attacks and worsening sectarian conflict continue to emerge—threatening the enforcement of the fragile ceasefire and raising concerns about long-term regional stability.
On Wednesday, the Israel Defense Forces struck the entrance to the Syrian regime’s military headquarters in Damascus in response to what it described as atrocities against Druze civilians.
“Jerusalem will not allow southern Syria to become a terror stronghold,” said IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, following a situational assessment held at Camp Nafah (also known as Camp Yitzhak) in the Israeli Golan Heights.
“We are acting with determination to prevent hostile elements from establishing a presence beyond the border, to protect the citizens of the State of Israel, and to prevent harm to Druze civilians,” Zamir stated.
On Tuesday, Israeli forces conducted a series of airstrikes on Syrian government targets in Sweida, attacking armored vehicles and convoys deployed by Damascus.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the strikes, accusing the Syrian regime of violating the long-standing demilitarization policy that bars regime units and heavy weapons from entering southern Syria. “This violation endangers Israel,” the statement declared.
“Israel is committed to preventing harm to the Druze in Syria,” the government added, citing the “deep fraternal alliance” with Israeli Druze citizens and their close familial ties to the Druze across the border.
On Thursday, Netanyahu outlined Israel’s dual strategic objective: demilitarizing southern Syria and protecting the Druze population. He said the al-Sharaa regime had clearly violated both red lines.
“That was something we could not accept under any circumstances,” Netanyahu said.
