Syria and Israel have agreed to a ceasefire, US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack said on Friday. The deal was “embraced” by Turkey, Jordan and other neighboring countries, the ambassador, who also serves as the US special envoy to Syria, said in a post on X.

Syria's Sweida province has been engulfed by nearly a week of violence triggered by clashes between Bedouin fighters and Druze factions. Earlier on Friday, an Israeli official said Israel agreed to allow Syrian forces limited access to the Sweida area of southern Syria for the next two days.

Republican congressman and Israel caucus co-chair Joe Wilson rebukes Israeli military strikes on Syria, calling them insulting to Trump's recent diplomatic efforts in the region.

President Donald Trump was caught by surprise last week by Israeli actions in Gaza and Syria, and in both instances phoned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “rectify” the matter, according to the White House.

For weeks, Israel has engaged in back-channel talks over a diplomatic agreement with the Syrian government. Its strikes on Damascus this week highlight a lack of strategic clarity.

Israeli leaders said they launched attacks on Syria this week to protect members of the Druze religious group in the country’s south, amid clashes in the area.

The Druze live in pockets across the Middle East, and Israeli members of the community want Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to do more to help their kin in Syria.

Shoshan was enjoying a vacation near Athens when he was reportedly attacked by a group of Syrian migrants, one of whom bit off part of his ear while making antisemitic and pro-Palestinian comments, according to Saturday Israeli media reports.

Tensions increased in southern Syria as Israeli warplanes bombed the Ministry of Defence in Damascus, areas around the presidential palace, and villages in As-Suwayda on 16 July 2025, killing at least two hundred and fifty Syrians in these air strikes.