Jerusalem: Sheikh Muwafaq Tarif, the spiritual leader of the Druze community in Israel, has made a direct appeal to US President Donald Trump for intervention to safeguard the Druze population in Suwayda province, located in southern Syria. This call to action was conveyed through a message sent to Trump via the US ambassador to Israel, highlighting the dire situation faced by the Druze in the region.

According to Anadolu Agency, Sheikh Tarif expressed grave concern over what he termed a campaign of violence against Druze civilians by radical armed groups in Syria. He described the situation in Suwayda as tantamount to genocide and urged Washington to take swift action to protect the vulnerable community. Tarif emphasized that the attacks on the Druze population are serious violations of basic human rights and should be classified as crimes against humanity.

In his message, Tarif did not address the increasing international criticism directed at Israel over its military campaign in Gaza, instead focusing solely on the crisis in Suwayda. He warned that continued inaction by the US could lead to further violence against minority communities in Syria and would be deeply concerning.

The conflict in Suwayda initially erupted on July 13, involving armed clashes between Bedouin Arabs and Druze factions. These confrontations were temporarily halted due to mediation efforts by the Syrian government and other foreign actors. However, a ceasefire was eventually broken by Druze forces linked to the Hikmat al-Hijri militia, leading to further escalation.

The situation further deteriorated on July 16 when the Israeli military conducted strikes near key Syrian government sites. Following these developments, Syrian troops withdrew from Suwayda, and Hikmat al-Hijri forces began targeting Bedouin families with forced displacement and executions. Reports indicate that thousands of tribal fighters entered the area in support of the Bedouin Arabs.

On July 19, the Syrian government redeployed its forces to the region and facilitated the withdrawal of Bedouin and tribal fighters from Suwayda. While the true death toll remains uncertain, observers suspect that the number of casualties among both armed groups and civilians may be significantly higher than currently reported.