Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Sunday insisted that the path to restoring unity in his war-torn country must come through dialogue, not violence, while accusing Israel of inciting unrest in the south.
Sharaa’s remarks, broadcast by state television, came amid mounting tensions in the Druze-majority province of Sweida, where hundreds took to the streets following last month’s violent clashes between local Druze residents and Sunni Bedouin tribes. Demonstrators called for self-determination and denounced what they described as increasing sectarian strife.
“We still have another battle ahead of us to unify Syria, and it should not be with blood and military force... it should be through some kind of understanding because Syria is tired of war,” Sharaa said, as quoted by AFP, during a dialogue meeting with officials and tribal leaders from the northwestern Idlib region.
Rejecting calls for partition, the Syrian leader stated, “I do not see Syria as at risk of division. Some people desire a process of dividing Syria and trying to establish cantons... this matter is impossible.”
He further accused foreign actors, including Israel, of attempting to leverage regional tensions to their advantage. “Some parties seek to gain power through regional power, Israel or others. This is also extremely difficult and cannot be implemented,” he said.
Syrian armed forces were deployed to Sweida on July 15 to quell clashes between Bedouin tribes and Druze fighters that left over 1,000 dead.
The Syrian army eventually withdrew from Sweida after Israeli airstrikes and intense diplomatic pressure.
While Damascus claimed its forces had intervened to restore order, opposition sources, including the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and local Druze factions, accused government troops of siding with Bedouin militants and committing atrocities, including alleged summary executions of Druze fighters.
“Sweida witnessed many violations from all sides... some members of the security forces and army in Syria also carried out some violations,” Sharaa acknowledged, adding that the government bears responsibility to “hold all perpetrators of violations to account,” regardless of affiliation.
The Syrian president directly accused Israel of exploiting the unrest to advance its interests. “Israel is intervening directly in Sweida, seeking to implement policies aimed at weakening the state in general or finding excuses to interfere in ongoing policies in the southern region,” he claimed.
Sharaa made similar accusations against Israel in a televised speech he delivered after the army left Sweida.