Syria and Israel have agreed to a cease-fire backed by Türkiye, Jordan and neighboring countries, U.S. Ambassador to Türkiye and Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack said Friday.
"Israeli Prime Minister @Netanyahu and Syrian President @SyPresidency supported by the U.S.A. @SecRubio have agreed to a ceasefire embraced by Türkiye, Jordan and its neighbors," Barrack said on X.
On Wednesday, Israel launched airstrikes in Damascus, while also hitting government forces in the south, demanding they withdraw and claiming that Israel aimed to protect Syrian Druze.
"We call upon Druze, Bedouins, and Sunnis to put down their weapons and together with other minorities build a new and united Syrian identity," Barrack said in a post on X.
Veteran Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt on Thursday criticized Israel for fueling unrest in southern Syria by manipulating members of the Druze community under the pretext of protection, warning that the move poses a threat to regional security.
The United States did not back Israel’s recent airstrikes in Syria, the State Department said Thursday, stressing that Washington expressed its displeasure and moved swiftly to help de-escalate tensions.
