Netanyahu calls for demilitarized zone in southern Syria, including Suwayda
DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that his government is seeking to establish a “demilitarized zone” in southern Syria, including Suwayda Governorate, adding that negotiations are underway to achieve this goal.
In a televised address, Netanyahu stated, “There are ongoing discussions about the possibility of disarming southern Syria, and we are working to make this area free of military threats.” He emphasized that his government has initiated contacts with international parties to move the proposal forward.
The announcement comes weeks after Suwayda witnessed fierce clashes in mid-July between Druze fighters and Bedouin tribes, which left hundreds dead and displaced nearly 200,000 people. A ceasefire agreement was reached on July 19, halting the violence after days of armed confrontations.
Netanyahu said, “When we understood the scale of the disaster in Suwayda, we acted immediately. We are working to open a humanitarian corridor and provide urgent support to the Druze. I told President Trump that power must come first, then peace.”
Meanwhile, three senior U.S. lawmakers — Jeanne Shaheen, Joni Ernst, and Joe Wilson — released a joint statement urging Israel to “immediately halt hostilities in Syria.”
Inside Syria, the Ministry of Interior announced Wednesday that it had secured the Damascus–Suwayda highway and prepared to reopen it for transport and trade after weeks of closure due to the security unrest. The ministry confirmed that all necessary field measures had been completed to ensure safe passage.
The developments followed two days of Israeli airstrikes on Syrian military positions in rural Damascus, which the Ministry of Defense said killed eight soldiers. In a separate report carried by the Saudi-owned al-Hadath channel, an unnamed Israeli security official claimed that Turkish surveillance devices had been dismantled in the Damascus countryside.
The situation in southern Syria remains fragile as authorities attempt to restore stability in Suwayda, while regional tensions are heightened by Israeli statements and military actions.