Hopes for calm after clashes in southern Syria and airstrikes in Damascus
The World’s Host Marco Werman speaks with Istanbul-based journalist Ruth Michaelson about unrest in Syria amid clashes between minority groups, government military involvement and Israeli airstrikes in the country.
Syria
Updated:
7:47
Smoke rises from clashes between Syrian government forces and Druze militias in Sweida city, southern Syria, July 16, 2025.
Omar Sanadiki/AP
A ceasefire was announced between the Syrian government and the country’s Druze minority on Wednesday. Fighting initially broke out the day before in the south of Syria between Druze militias and local Bedouin tribes, killing at least 30 people.
The Syrian government also joined the fighting, stoking fears that it might go on to oppress the Druze minority. That’s created a crisis for Syria’s transitional government, which has pledged to support the rights of ethnic and religious minorities.
Bedouin fighters on a road in Ezraa village on the outskirts of Daraa city, after clashes erupted between the bedouin clans and Druze militias in Sweida province, southern Syria, July 18, 2025.Ghaith Alsayed/AP
Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes hit a military compound and targets near the Syrian presidential palace early Wednesday morning. Israel called it an effort to protect the Druze community, who live along its border with Syria. And to that end, Israel has been striking targets in Damascus, where plumes of smoke can be seen over the Syrian capital.
The World’s Host Marco Werman spoke with Istanbul-based journalist Ruth Michaelson and asked her to explain what Israel and Syria have at stake in this new conflict.
Marco Werman: Talk about the Israeli airstrikes against the Syrian military that you mentioned have been ongoing for a third day in a row.
Ruth Michaelson: We have seen warnings from the Israeli defense minister saying that there would be this expansion of strikes and that these were initially going to be warnings that the strikes would continue, and statements from the Israeli military that the strikes could even continue for a number of days. And I mean, frankly speaking, it’s not especially clear how the targets of these strikes correspond to what they were initially saying.
You know, why would hitting the presidential palace or something close to the presidential palace in Damascus, how does that help protect the Druze community south of the capital, especially when, as you pointed out, we’ve now seen a ceasefire between the parties that have been fighting between the government and Druze-allied militias in Sweida?
You know, why would hitting the presidential palace or something close to the presidential palace in Damascus, how does that help protect the Druze community south of the capital, especially when, as you pointed out, we’ve now seen a ceasefire between the parties that have been fighting between the government and Druze-allied militias in Sweida?
Druze from Syria and Israel protest on the Israeli-Syrian border, in Majdal Shams in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights, July 16, 2025.Leo Correa/AP
A lot of questions. For listeners who might not be familiar, Ruth, explain who the Druze are and what connects them to Israel.
So, the Druze are a religious sect that spans part of Syria and across the Levant. So, they are found in large numbers on the outskirts of Damascus in a neighborhood called Jaramana predominantly, down into Sweida, which is a province south of Damasus. And the Druze are also found in Lebanon and also in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
There are Druze in Israel who serve in the Israeli military, and so the Israeli authorities say that they are intervening to protect a community that has a presence in Israel, even if that is not necessarily a view that is shared by the Druze community elsewhere, particularly in Syria.
There are Druze in Israel who serve in the Israeli military, and so the Israeli authorities say that they are intervening to protect a community that has a presence in Israel, even if that is not necessarily a view that is shared by the Druze community elsewhere, particularly in Syria.
Druze women from Syria gather to cross back into Syria at the Israeli-Syrian border, from the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights town of Majdal Shams, July 17, 2025.Leo Correa/AP
Well, I was going to say, the Druze are part of an offshoot of Shia Islam. Why does Prime Minister Netanyahu feel an allegiance to protect them? Or did Israel launch these strikes on the Syrian military in Damascus for another reason that they’re not talking about?
Well, I mean, it’s more likely to be the latter. It is extremely unclear as to what motivates these strikes from an Israeli perspective beyond expanding the range of areas that Israel is now striking regularly, there are Israeli strikes on an almost daily basis in southern Lebanon, and there is also mounting pressure on Israel to halt, or at least pause, their assault on Gaza. And what it seems like the Israelis are doing, at least in the last few days, is doing the exact opposite, which is expanding the range of areas that they are striking in territories nearby.
Syrian Druze run away from tear gas fired by Israeli soldiers as they protest on the Syrian side of the border with Israel, seen from Majdal Shams in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights, July 16, 2025.Leo Correa/AP
What is Israel’s endgame here? Do we have a clear sense of that?
That is a very good question. I think what is troubling for most observers is that the answer to that is not very clear. There wouldn’t appear to be a clear rationale, especially for the strikes that we have seen today. And because of that, it’s also somewhat unclear what would make Israel halt these strikes.
So, I mean, we’ve already seen today that the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that Washington is very concerned by the fighting that they’ve seen in Syria, that there will be pressure and work to get the Israelis to halt these strikes. But given that it’s not really clear what the rationale is for the strikes in the first place, what the desired end point is, and that we have now seen this ceasefire in Sweida, it’s not really clear other than that what the Israelis would need to see to decide that they’ve done enough and it’s time to stop bombing.
So, I mean, we’ve already seen today that the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that Washington is very concerned by the fighting that they’ve seen in Syria, that there will be pressure and work to get the Israelis to halt these strikes. But given that it’s not really clear what the rationale is for the strikes in the first place, what the desired end point is, and that we have now seen this ceasefire in Sweida, it’s not really clear other than that what the Israelis would need to see to decide that they’ve done enough and it’s time to stop bombing.
What is at stake for Washington in this conflict?
They have placed an enormous amount of political capital and stock on the idea that they have helped with the rebuilding of Syria by lifting economic sanctions on Syria, and that this is a gateway to allow Syria to rebuild after 14 years of civil war, after living under crushing dictatorship.
And the lifting of sanctions was something that was beyond welcome on the ground in Damascus. There were even posters showing President Donald Trump’s face that went up all over the country to celebrate that this happened. And so the Trump administration has really tried to say that their priority is a new beginning, peace and stability for Syria, and so these developments that we’re seeing have put enormous pressure on the Trump administration to halt these Israeli strikes very quickly, because they absolutely undermine the stated aims of the administration to have this new, prosperous, peaceful Syria.
And the lifting of sanctions was something that was beyond welcome on the ground in Damascus. There were even posters showing President Donald Trump’s face that went up all over the country to celebrate that this happened. And so the Trump administration has really tried to say that their priority is a new beginning, peace and stability for Syria, and so these developments that we’re seeing have put enormous pressure on the Trump administration to halt these Israeli strikes very quickly, because they absolutely undermine the stated aims of the administration to have this new, prosperous, peaceful Syria.
A couple of months ago, it seemed as if interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa had some goodwill on his side to try and make things work in the country. Is that no longer the case?
It’s clear that that is enormously under pressure. This is really a time for the president to step up, to demonstrate the unity that this government says that it needs to see, because there are real fears about the fracturing of Syria, and that pressure is now only set to increase.
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.