Syrian Regime Tightens Siege on Daraa Al-Balad, Thousands Displaced

Smoke rises above opposition-held areas of the city of Daraa during airstrikes by Syrian regime forces, southern Syria, July 5, 2018. (AFP)
Smoke rises above opposition-held areas of the city of Daraa during airstrikes by Syrian regime forces, southern Syria, July 5, 2018. (AFP)
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Syrian Regime Tightens Siege on Daraa Al-Balad, Thousands Displaced

Smoke rises above opposition-held areas of the city of Daraa during airstrikes by Syrian regime forces, southern Syria, July 5, 2018. (AFP)
Smoke rises above opposition-held areas of the city of Daraa during airstrikes by Syrian regime forces, southern Syria, July 5, 2018. (AFP)

Cautious calm prevailed in Daraa al-Balad in southern Syria, ahead of a new round of negotiations, while the regime forces tightened the siege on the area amid the displacement of thousands of civilians.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said calm was restored throughout the Daraa governorate, even though tensions remained after local tribes issued a statement rejecting regime reinforcements in the area.

The war monitor noted that a number of civilians were wounded on Friday as regime forces and the Fourth Division used heavy machine guns and artillery to attack residential neighborhoods in Daraa al-Balad. Dozens of shells were launched on Thursday from the checkpoints surrounding the city.

Meanwhile, the regime forces set up sand barriers and blocked the only road that citizens were using to flee Daraa al-Balad due to the military escalation.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) announced, in a statement on Thursday, that since July 28, the escalation of hostilities has forced at least 18,000 civilians to flee Daraa al-Balad.

Many of them fled to the city of Daraa and to the surrounding areas, the statement noted, adding that hundreds of people have taken refuge in schools in Daraa al-Mahatta, referring to the areas under the control of the regime forces in the city.

The Daraa governorate is the only area where some opposition fighters remained after the regime forces regained control over the south in July 2018.

A settlement agreement sponsored by Moscow put an end to military operations and maintained the presence of opposition fighters who kept light weapons, while the regime forces did not deploy throughout the governorate.

Since 2018, the governorate has witnessed sporadic clashes between the regime forces and opposition fighters, dozens of whom have left over the past two years to northwestern parts of the country.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, said in a statement on Thursday: “The stark picture emerging from Daraa al-Balad and other neighborhoods underscores how much at risk civilians there are, repeatedly exposed to fighting and violence, and in effect under siege.”

“With the only route out of the city under strict Government control, tanks roll down the streets and people face checkpoints and movement restrictions while their property is seized and stolen,” she added.

Bachelet continued: “I remind the parties to the conflict of their obligations under international humanitarian law, in particular as regards the protection of civilians, and under international human rights law.”



Clerics Accuse West Bank Israeli Settlers of Attacking Christian Sites

Latin Patriarch in Jerusalem Pierbattista Pizzaballa walks during the visit of the town of Taybeh, a Christian village in the Israeli-Occupied West Bank, following settler attacks, July 14, 2025. (Reuters)
Latin Patriarch in Jerusalem Pierbattista Pizzaballa walks during the visit of the town of Taybeh, a Christian village in the Israeli-Occupied West Bank, following settler attacks, July 14, 2025. (Reuters)
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Clerics Accuse West Bank Israeli Settlers of Attacking Christian Sites

Latin Patriarch in Jerusalem Pierbattista Pizzaballa walks during the visit of the town of Taybeh, a Christian village in the Israeli-Occupied West Bank, following settler attacks, July 14, 2025. (Reuters)
Latin Patriarch in Jerusalem Pierbattista Pizzaballa walks during the visit of the town of Taybeh, a Christian village in the Israeli-Occupied West Bank, following settler attacks, July 14, 2025. (Reuters)

Christian leaders accused Israeli settlers on Monday of attacking sacred sites in the West Bank, in violence that one said was forcing some to consider quitting the occupied territory.

The Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, Theophilos III - visiting the Christian town of Taybeh with other Jerusalem-based clerics - said settlers had started a fire near a cemetery and a 5th century church there last week.

"These actions are a direct and intentional threat to our local community ... but also to the historic and religious heritage," the patriarch told diplomats and journalists at a press conference in Taybeh.

Settlers had also attacked homes in the area, he said.

"We call for an immediate and transparent investigation on why the Israeli police did not respond to emergency calls from the local community and why these abhorrent actions continue to go unpunished," he added.

Israel's government spokesperson did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Israel's government had previously said that any acts of violence by civilians are unacceptable and that individuals should not take the law into their own hands.

During the visit, the heads of the churches led locals in prayer as candles flickered in the ruins of the 5th century church of St George. They spoke with residents who described their fears.

B'Tselem and other rights groups say settler violence in the West Bank has risen since the start of Israel's war against Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza in late 2023.

Dozens of Israelis have also been killed in Palestinian street attacks in recent years and the Israeli military has intensified raids across the West Bank.

Palestinian health authorities and witnesses said two men, including a US citizen, were killed by settlers during a confrontation on Friday night.

Fears over violence were pushing Christians to leave the West Bank, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Roman Catholic Patriarch of Jerusalem since 2020, said.

"Unfortunately, the temptation to emigrate is there because of the situation," he added. "This time it's very difficult to see how and when this will finish, and especially for the youth to talk about hope, trust for the future."

Around 50,000 Christian Palestinians live in Jerusalem and in the West Bank, an area that includes many of the faith's most sacred sites including Bethlehem where believers say Jesus was born.

Around 700,000 Israeli settlers live among 2.7 million Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, territories Israel captured from Jordan in the 1967 war, which Palestinians see as part of a future state.