Syria Steps Back From ‘open War’ In Face Of Intense Israeli Strikes After Sectarian Violence

Syria's leader accused Israel connected Thursday of sowing discord pinch a activity of aggravated airstrikes pursuing deadly sectarian clashes that threatened nan country's vulnerable unity and illustrated its neighbor's capacity to onslaught crossed nan region.

In a televised speech, Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa promised to protect nan authorities and state of Syria's Druze community — and debar an “open war” pinch Israel. He said Syria "will ne'er beryllium a spot for section aliases fragmentation" arsenic he called protecting nan authorities of nan belief number a "priority" of his administration.

His comments came aft nan Syrian authorities and leaders successful nan Druze organization announced a renewed ceasefire Wednesday aft days of clashes in nan confederate metropolis of Sweida threatened nan comparative stableness achieved successful nan state since the toppling of nan Assad regime successful December.

Government forces were withdrawing from nan area, nan Associated Press news agency reported, though a previous ceasefire successful nan area quickly crumbled and it was not instantly clear whether nan latest truce would hold.

A objection pursuing an Israeli airstrike successful Damascus connected Wednesday.Bakr Al Kasem / Anadolu via Getty Images

Israel launched uncommon strikes successful Damascus and elsewhere connected Wednesday successful a run it said was aimed astatine defending nan Druze, who besides person a beardown beingness successful Israel — and to unit Islamic militants distant from its border.

"We are not among those who fearfulness war," Sharaa said Thursday, arsenic he accused Israel of "targeting our stableness and creating discord among america since nan autumn of nan erstwhile regime," according to a transcript from nan Reuters news agency. “But we put nan interests of nan Syrians earlier chaos and destruction," he said, adding that section factions and sheikhs had been assigned nan work of maintaining information successful Sweida.

“We are very worried astir nan unit successful confederate Syria," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday, calling it a "direct threat to efforts to thief build a serene and unchangeable Syria." He added that nan Trump management had "been and stay successful repeated and changeless talks pinch nan governments of Syria and Israel connected this matter.”

The flare-up of unit appears to people nan astir superior threat yet to nan vulnerable power Syria's caller activity holds complete nan state pursuing dictator Bashar al-Assad's ouster, pinch repeated eruptions of unit threatening to undermine Sharaa's vow to rebuild a much inclusive Syria typical of its myriad belief and taste groups.

Sharaa has worked difficult successful caller months to shake disconnected his past arsenic a jihadist leader with links to some nan Islamic State violent group and Al Qaeda. The Trump administration's move to revoke nan overseas violent statement nickname for his Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham group signaled growing, but cautious, world assurance successful his leadership.