Sweida evacuates Bedouins, Syria’s ceasefire holds

Bedouin Families Evacuated from Sweida after Sectarian Ceasefire

A state‑led rescue operation moved roughly 1,500 Bedouin civilians out of the volatile Druze‑majority city of Sweida following a hard‑won week of violent clashes that killed more than 1,100 people.

Operation Details

• Convoys of buses and other vehicles entered Sweida, transported civilians—including women and children—and then departed for reception centres in nearby Daraa province and the capital Damascus.
• The evacuation was coordinated with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent and announced by the state news agency SANA.

Causative Factors

Clashes erupted on July 13 between Druze and Bedouin groups, long‑standing tensions of decades were exacerbated by the involvement of Sunni Arab tribes who rallied in support of the Bedouin. In the meantime, government forces were accused of siding with Bedouin, allegedly committing summary executions as they entered Sweida last week.

Ceasefire Outcomes

• The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that a share of the over 1,100 dead were Druze fighters, civilians, and hundreds of government security personnel.
• The ceasefire had only become effective on Sunday after the withdrawal of Bedouin and tribal fighters and the re‑assertion of Druze control over parts of Sweida.

Unidentified Corpses & Humanitarian Challenges

At Sweida’s main hospital, dozens of bodies were still waiting to be identified; a forensic medicine officer said that 97 corpses remained unnamed. More than 450 bodies were brought to the national hospital by Sunday evening, with additional recoveries still underway.

Health authorities have not released a comprehensive death count, while the United Nations reports that more than 128,000 people were displaced, compounding difficulties in body identification.

Humanitarian Aid Convoy

A first humanitarian aid convoy entered Sweida on Sunday, after the city suffered power and water cuts, and shortages of fuel, food and medical supplies. The convoy carried body bags and other essential supplies.

Current Status

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs confirmed that hospitals and health centres in Sweida province were out of service and that “reports of unburied bodies raising serious public health concerns” remained.

On Monday, the Observatory indicated that the ceasefire was holding, with isolated gunfire reported in areas north of Sweida city but no casualties recorded.