'We call upon Druze, Bedouins, and Sunnis to put down their weapons and together with other minorities build a new and united Syrian identity,' Tom Barrack says
Israel and Syria have agreed to a ceasefire supported by Türkiye, Jordan and neighbors, US Ambassador to Ankara Tom Barrack said early Saturday.
"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, who also serves as US special envoy for Syria, said on X.
"We call upon Druze, Bedouins, and Sunnis to put down their weapons and together with other minorities build a new and united Syrian identity. We urge all Syrians to honor each other and live in peace and prosperity with their neighbors," he added.
His remarks came amid rising tensions in southern Syria's Suwayda province, where deadly clashes erupted last Sunday between armed Druze and Bedouin groups.
Israel, under the pretext of protecting Druze communities, intensified its attacks across Syria, launching airstrikes on four provinces, including on the General Staff headquarters and presidential palace in the capital Damascus on Wednesday.
Earlier, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held a phone call with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to stress that Israel's continued interventions on Syrian territory were exacerbating the crisis.
Fidan said any attack targeting Syria's territorial integrity, unity and sovereignty undermines regional peace efforts.
Affirming Türkiye's support for the "constructive role" the US is playing in Syria, Fidan expressed Ankara's willingness to work with Washington and international actors to achieve a lasting resolution to the conflict.
