Thursday, July 17

Israel and Syria have finally come to an agreement on a ceasefire after several days of intense battles in the southern Syrian city of Suwayda, which is home to a large number of the Druze minority.

The Druze are part of a specific sect of Islam that includes around one million people, most of which live in Lebanon and Syria. However, Druze do not identify as Muslims, and their faith involves aspects of Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, and others, as well as a belief in reincarnation. While they do speak Arabic, they do not share their traditions or practices with others, do not allow conversion to or from their religion, and strongly discourage marriage to someone outside of their faith.

Due to this, Druze communities are very tight-knit, and areas which contain Druze are usually heavily populated with them. The southern Syrian province of Suwayda happens to be an epicenter for the Druze majority, but Druze have faced conflict from Syrian forces under the rule of dictator Bashar al-Assad in the past. A large population of Druze also reside in Golan Heights, a disputed area between Israel and Syria that Israel currently maintains control over, giving Israel motivation to support the sect.

On Sunday, several members of a Bedouin tribe attacked a Druze man in Suwayda, sparking outrage among the people of the area. The tension quickly escalated into a huge conflict, pitting Bedouins against Druze and forcing others to take sides.

Syria has also gone through a large period of recent government reform after Assad was ousted by now-former terrorist organization Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) several months ago. While HTS has attempted to restore peace throughout different regions of Syria, the impact of previous governmental mistreatment of many tribes and sects remains, including the Druze.

Because of this, when the Syrian government also attempted to intervene, the Druze misunderstood and believed that they had come to back up the Bedouins, escalating the conflict even further.

Then, in recent days, Israel joined the fight in an attempt to show solidarity with the Druze. Due to the significant number of Druze who live in Israel and provide a huge benefit to the country's government, military, and economy, they began to attack Syria to defend the sect. However, Druze leaders within Syria confirmed that they did not want Israel's help, and would rather have avoided international conflict. Despite this, Israel pounded Damascus and Suwayda with airstrikes for several days, doing serious damage to numerous buildings.

In total, at least 300 people were killed in the conflict, and crucial supplies like electricity and internet have been disrupted across Suwayda. Nevertheless, a ceasefire has been reached.

The agreement will see all military action come to a stop-- including Druze forces, Bedouin forces, Syrian national forces, or Israeli national forces. Syrian forces have already begun to move out of Suwayda, and Syria has confirmed that the local government will soon be re-established.

Fact of the Day (The Fact Site): The tongue is the only muscle in the human body that is not attached on both ends.

Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Sometimes the bad things that happen in our lives put us directly on the path to the best things that will ever happen to us. (Jeremiah Say)

Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Abject (adj, AB-jekt) - Abject usually describes things that are extremely bad or severe. It can also describe something that feels or shows shame, or someone lacking courage or strength.

In a Sentence: Happily, their attempts to derail the project ended in abject failure.