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Syria Detains Interior, Defense Ministry Members Suspected of Sweida Violence

Smoke rises from clashes between Druze and Bedouin fighters in Sweida on July 19, 2025. (dpa) 
Smoke rises from clashes between Druze and Bedouin fighters in Sweida on July 19, 2025. (dpa) 
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Syria Detains Interior, Defense Ministry Members Suspected of Sweida Violence

Smoke rises from clashes between Druze and Bedouin fighters in Sweida on July 19, 2025. (dpa) 
Smoke rises from clashes between Druze and Bedouin fighters in Sweida on July 19, 2025. (dpa) 

Syria has interrogated and detained members of its defense and interior ministries suspected of committing abuses against civilians in the predominantly Druze province of Sweida in July, the committee investigating the violence has said.

Hundreds of people were killed in Sweida in violence that began between tribes and Druze factions but which worsened after Syrian troops were dispatched to the area. Bereaved relatives accused government forces of committing execution-style killings on camera.

Syria appointed a committee to investigate the violence on July 31. Its spokesperson Ammar Izzedin told Syrian and regional media outlets on Tuesday night that members of both the interior and defense ministries had been questioned and referred to the judiciary over their suspected involvement in abuses.

Izzedin declined to say how many personnel were detained, but said they were Syrian nationals who carried out the atrocities in an individual capacity, according to Reuters.

He told regional broadcaster Al-Hadath the committee had confronted the suspects with “the video footage in which they were seen” committing abuses without specifying what they were.

Izzedin said the footage was “enough” as evidence since the fighters had filmed themselves, but that several had also confessed to committing the abuses after being shown the videos.

“They were detained by the interior and defense ministries to be transferred to the judiciary when the investigations are concluded to be publicly tried for the crimes they committed against Syrians,” Izzedin said.

He told local outlet Syria TV that the committee was keen to act swiftly to arrest the suspects even as it continued its investigative work. He did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for additional comment.

On Tuesday, Amnesty International urged Syrian authorities to hold members of government forces accountable for extrajudicial executions of Druze men and women on July 15 and 16 in Sweida.

The human rights organization confirmed that 46 individuals—44 men and two women—were deliberately shot dead, while two older victims were subjected to mock executions. These killings took place across multiple locations, including a public square, private residences, a school, a hospital and a ceremonial hall, it added.

The Syrian Interior Ministry on Tuesday welcomed the Amnesty International report on events in Sweida, stressing its commitment to protecting all Syrians.

Ministry spokesperson Noureddine Al-Baba told the Syrian state-run news agency, SANA, that the Ministry “positively” view Amnesty report and hope it will contribute to strengthening human rights in Syria.

“We extend our hands to any party can help us establish the rule of law and provide justice to victims” he added.

 

 

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Arab World

Arab League: Violations in Palestine Worsen Humanitarian Crisis, Undermine International Law

The League of Arab States logo
The League of Arab States logo
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Arab League: Violations in Palestine Worsen Humanitarian Crisis, Undermine International Law

The League of Arab States logo
The League of Arab States logo

The General Secretariat of the League of Arab States expressed deep concern over continued Israeli violations in the occupied Palestinian territories. It described them as part of a persistent pattern targeting civilians, journalists, and humanitarian institutions and undermining protections afforded under international law, the Saudi Press Agency said on Wednesday.

In a statement marking the first anniversary of the Israeli bombing of Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, which resulted in the killing of five Palestinian journalists, the general secretariat condemned Israeli measures targeting facilities belonging to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in Kafr Aqab, north of occupied Jerusalem, with the aim of evacuating and demolishing the facilities.

The general secretariat stressed the need to protect journalists and humanitarian workers and ensure accountability for violations against them.

It also warned that undermining humanitarian operations and restricting aid deliveries to the Gaza Strip are worsening living conditions, particularly for children. It called for the sufficient and sustained flow of humanitarian aid, the opening of crossings, and the expansion of humanitarian space.

The general secretariat stressed that the continuation of such violations without accountability further exacerbates human suffering and undermines confidence in the credibility of the international system.

Arab World

What Outcomes Will Hezbollah MP’s Visit to Tehran Have on Lebanon?

Lebanese lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah, a member of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc. (AFP)
Lebanese lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah, a member of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc. (AFP)
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What Outcomes Will Hezbollah MP’s Visit to Tehran Have on Lebanon?

Lebanese lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah, a member of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc. (AFP)
Lebanese lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah, a member of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc. (AFP)

The importance of Lebanese lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah’s latest visit to Tehran lies not in the trip itself. Hezbollah’s alliance with Iran is public and well established. What stands out is its timing and the way it was announced.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry disclosed the visit as the Lebanese state seeks to chart a political course free from regional rivalries and assert that decisions concerning Lebanon must run through state institutions.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry said two days ago that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi received Fadlallah, a member of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc, in Tehran. Hezbollah’s representative in Iran, Abdallah Safieddine, attended the meeting.

The ministry said the talks covered the latest developments in Lebanon and Israeli attacks. Araghchi reaffirmed Iran’s support for Lebanon and its “defense of its territorial integrity, dignity and national sovereignty.”

Fadlallah praised Iran’s position and what he called its strong diplomacy, urging a unified Islamic stand against Israel.

Outcomes of the visit

Ministerial sources said Hezbollah’s relationship with Iran “requires no interpretation. It is an alliance both sides openly take pride in.”

“At a time when Lebanese officials are working to separate the two tracks, this visit again raises questions about whether the party respects the role of the state and the positions of its officials,” they said.

The sources told Asharq Al-Awsat: “This is certainly not the first time a Hezbollah official has visited Tehran, nor will it be the last. But it may be the first time such a visit has been announced in this way — through an official statement from the Iranian Foreign Ministry.”

“That gives the meeting an official character that goes beyond receiving a Lebanese lawmaker. It appears almost as a meeting between officials of two states.”

Still, the sources said the key question was what the visit would produce: whether it would ease the process now underway or make it even more difficult, particularly because Fadlallah is responsible for negotiations with the Lebanese presidency.

“Will Hezbollah cooperate with the state in the process it is managing, particularly over negotiations with Israel? Or will it continue rejecting decisions made by state institutions and escalate further?” they asked.

The question is even more pressing as Iranian-American negotiations falter and threaten repercussions in Lebanon, they warned.

Communications cut

The sources said communications between President Joseph Aoun and Hezbollah had been cut, with no recent contact. The only remaining channel is with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Hezbollah’s key ally.

The visit came days after the United States imposed new sanctions on Hezbollah, targeting 10 individuals and a network Washington accused of moving funds between Iran’s Revolutionary Guards’ Quds Force and the Lebanese group.

Hezbollah responded by declaring its pride in its relationship with Iran and reaffirming its commitment to the “path of resistance.”

El Hage: They challenge the state every day

Lebanese Forces parliamentary bloc member Razi El Hage said there was “nothing unusual” about Fadlallah’s visit to Tehran.

Hezbollah has never let a day pass without treating Iran as the foundation of the equation. The group opposed the state and sought to place Lebanon within the framework of Iranian-American negotiations, he told Asharq Al-Awsat.

“This is not a new challenge to the state. They challenge it every day through their positions and their insistence on keeping Lebanese decision-making tied to foreign powers,” El Hage said.

“They must understand that the clock will not be turned back. The state has embarked on a course from which there can be no retreat.”

“They are making the decision to slaughter Lebanon,” El Hage added.

“Our position will remain firm. We will not retreat from our demand that the state alone hold decision-making authority and continue along the path it has begun.”

El Hage also called on the government to enforce its decisions more firmly, saying the state must prove it can assert its authority and protect Lebanon from attempts to keep it an arena for other countries’ conflicts.

Lebanese decisions first

Fadlallah’s visit came as President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam have taken clear positions on keeping Lebanon out of other countries’ conflicts.

Aoun previously said Iran was “using Lebanon as a bargaining chip” in its negotiations with the United States.

He said he was working to implement a policy of distancing Lebanon from regional conflicts and insisted that decisions affecting the country’s sovereignty and security must rest exclusively with the Lebanese state.

Salam previously said: “Once again, the South and its people are paying the price for a decision they did not take. If I may address Iran directly: have mercy on our south and stop treating it as a bargaining chip in your negotiations.”

“Lebanon is not a mailbox for others’ messages, nor a battlefield for their wars,” he stated.

Arab World

Yemen’s PLC Urges Deterrent Measures against the Houthis

PLC Chairman Dr. Rashad al-Alimi chairs the council meeting attended by all its members and Prime Minister Shaya Zindani. (Saba)
PLC Chairman Dr. Rashad al-Alimi chairs the council meeting attended by all its members and Prime Minister Shaya Zindani. (Saba)
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Yemen’s PLC Urges Deterrent Measures against the Houthis

PLC Chairman Dr. Rashad al-Alimi chairs the council meeting attended by all its members and Prime Minister Shaya Zindani. (Saba)
PLC Chairman Dr. Rashad al-Alimi chairs the council meeting attended by all its members and Prime Minister Shaya Zindani. (Saba)

Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council has raised the level of military, security, and intelligence readiness to confront the Houthi escalation, stressing that government forces are now prepared to take the initiative.

It warned that any new escalation by the Iranian-backed group will carry a direct cost for its leadership, capabilities, and funding sources.

PLC Chairman Dr. Rashad al-Alimi chaired a council meeting attended by all its members and Prime Minister Shaya Zindani.

The meeting was dedicated to discussing military, security, and economic developments, alongside the state's strategic options to counter the Houthi escalation, at a time when several fronts are witnessing increased military movements and attacks targeting civilian areas and vital installations.

The council stressed that the state is proceeding with its efforts to restore its institutions, impose its authority over the entire Yemeni territory, and end the Houthi coup.

The armed forces have become more prepared to fulfill their constitutional duties, deter Houthi attacks, and prevent the group from achieving any field or morale gains, it added.

The council was briefed on the latest developments on the ground. It also discussed a number of urgent economic and security measures aimed at improving living conditions and combating terrorism, smuggling, and organized crime.

The PLC said it was taking "legitimate and necessary" measures to protect citizens, sovereign installations, and national interests, including preemptive actions against threats, command and control centers, and military capabilities that are being used or prepared to target government forces, civilians, and vital facilities.

It praised the performance of the armed and security forces over the past weeks, highlighting their capability in foiling Houthi attacks, inflicting losses, and achieving military targets.

The council stated that recent government operations sent a message that targeting cities, civilians, and national installations "without cost" is no longer possible, warning that any new escalation will have direct consequences.