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Timeline of the Conflict

A Chronicle of Violence and Resistance in As-Suwayda

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CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS

Follow the devastating sequence of events that led to the current humanitarian crisis in As-Suwayda

12 July, Saturday 2025

The Violence Begins

The violence began when armed Bedouin tribes kidnapped and robbed a Druze vegetable seller at a highway checkpoint, triggering reciprocal kidnappings by Druze armed groups. (AP News)

13 July, Sunday 2025

Retaliation and Escalation

In Sweida city, Druze militias retaliated. Bedouin fighters set up a checkpoint in the Maqwas neighborhood, leading to clashes and a rising death toll. Over 30 people were killed and around 100 injured as fighting spread to nearby villages. (Reuters)

14 July, Monday 2025

Government Intervention

Syrian Interior Ministry sent troops to Sweida to restore order. Instead, security forces clashed with Druze militias. At least 18 security personnel were killed, and troops reportedly looted homes and trucks. Government forces appeared to side with Bedouin elements. (Reuters) (Reuters)

Syrians report deliberate internet shutdowns amid Sweida attacks. (SMEX)

15 July, Tuesday 2025

Atrocities Uncovered

Reports emerged of summary executions, humiliation of Druze civilians (forced shaving of mustaches), burned homes, and detained civilians shot in the head-some after being collectively executed. (AP News)

Local sources reported that the National Hospital was stormed by soldiers and tanks affiliated with the government. Doctors were threatened and robbed, and patients were killed. A later BBC report included interviews with witnesses at the hospital, who confirmed the incident. (BBC)

16 July, Wednesday 2025

International Involvement

Mid-afternoon: Israel launched airstrikes on Damascus—including the Defense Ministry and areas near the presidential palace—pledging to safeguard the Druze in southern Syria. Covert strikes also hit military convoys entering Sweida. (Reuters)

Later that day: A ceasefire was announced by Sheikh Yousef Jarbou to take immediate effect. Minutes later, other Druze leader (Sheikh Alhajari) rejected it and fighting resumed. Government troops withdrew from the city by nightfall. (Reuters)

17 July, Thursday 2025

Withdrawal and Continued Conflict

Syrian forces withdrew from Sweida following Israeli pressure. (Reuters)

On Tuesday, Syrian Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra said an agreement was struck with the city's "notables and dignitaries" and that government forces would "respond only to the sources of fire and deal with any targeting by outlaw groups." However, scattered clashes continued after his announcement as did allegations that security forces had committed violations against civilians. (AP)

Intense artillery and rocket shelling was reported targeting residential areas and Druze armed groups in Suwayda, allegedly by the Syrian army and allied tribal forces. (Syrian Observatory for Human Rights)

18 July, Friday 2025

Humanitarian Toll and Displacement

At least 600 people - combatants and civilians on both sides - were killed in four days of clashes, the dead included more than 80 civilians, mostly Druze, who were rounded up by fighters and collectively shot to death in what was called "field executions. (AP)

These are not individual acts but systemic," the director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights Rami Abdul-Rahman told the AP. "All the violations are there. You can see from the bodies that are all over the streets in Sweida clearly show that they're shot in the head. (AP)

Druze militias have targeted Bedouin families in revenge attacks since the ceasefire was reached. Footage shared on Syrian state media shows Bedouin families putting their belongings in trucks and fleeing with reports of renewed skirmishes in those areas. There was no word on casualties in those attacks. (AP)

19 July, Saturday 2025

Evacuations and Shelter

Interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa urged Bedouin tribes to fully comply with the ceasefire amid ongoing violence. The government began evacuating thousands of Bedouin civilians by bus under coordination with state media. (AP)

Entire communities have fled on foot, with many now crammed into overcrowded schools, churches and public buildings under dire conditions. (AP)

20-21 July 2025

Humanitarian Crisis Deepens

Humanitarian conditions deteriorated rapidly. The Sweida national hospital was overwhelmed, cameras showed dozens of bodies and wounded, and access to basic utilities was cut off. UN reported more than 93,000 people displaced, with humanitarian convoys delayed by security constraints. (AP News) (Reuters)

22-25 July 2025

International Concern and Healthcare Impact

Confirmations emerged that a U.S. citizen was among those killed in last week's violence, including a family executed in a public roundabout. By July 25, the city's hospital was still operating with limited power and water, treating mass casualties. (AP News) (Reuters) (Reuters)

Islamist jihadist fighters were documented fighting on the front lines controlled by government forces against the Druze. (BBC)

Access to As-Sweida remains severely constrained, further hampering the delivery of lifesaving assistance. (UN)

Five reported attacks on healthcare have been confirmed by WHO. These include the killing of two doctors, obstruction and targeting of ambulances, and hospitals being temporarily occupied or otherwise affected. (WHO)

UNICEF reports on the catastrophic humanitarian situation in As-Sweida, highlighting the destruction of infrastructure, including wells and the electricity network. The report warns of the risk of infectious disease outbreaks due to the lack of water and fuel supplies, and notes that the General Security Forces have set up roadblocks on major routes leading to As-Sweida, further restricting humanitarian access. (UNICEF)

26 July, Saturday 2025

Talks and Ongoing Challenges

Syria and Israel agreed to continue talks (facilitated by the U.S. envoy) to de-escalate the conflict in southern Syria, marking the first public Syrian confirmation of such discussions. (Reuters)

Western Suwayda neighborhoods were shelled using ground-fired munitions originating near Kanaker village, with Tal Hadid being targeted in a clear breach of the ceasefire. Meanwhile, looting in Kanaker continues unabated under the watch of General Security Forces that control the area. (Syrian Observatory for Human Rights)

Swaida suffers under siege, with severe shortages of water and food, likely enforced by local Bedouin militias blocking vital supply routes. The humanitarian crisis worsens as international aid fails to reach most residents. (Syrian Observatory for Human Rights)

29 July, Tuesday 2025

International Investigations

Reuters verified three videos in which gunmen wearing military fatigues carried out the execution-style killings of 12 unarmed Druze civilians in southern Syria earlier this month. The footage was filmed by the killers themselves or people accompanying them. All killings are allegedly committed by Syrian government forces. (Reuters)

21 August, Thursday 2025

UN Human Rights Concerns

Independent human rights experts appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council have sounded the alarm over a wave of violence targeting Druze communities in and around Sweida Governorate since 13 July 2025. Reports point to killings, enforced disappearances, abductions, looting, destruction of property, rape, and sexual and gender-based violence against women and girls. The experts cited that these violations were committed by armed groups affiliated with the Syrian Interim Authorities.

(United Nations Human Rights)

A DOCTOR'S TESTIMONY

A firsthand account from a resident doctor at Al-Suwayda National Hospital during the siege.

"My name is Y.A. I am a resident doctor at Al-Suwayda National Hospital. On Sunday, July 13th, I went for my regular shift in the Intensive Care Unit. In the afternoon, the injuries and martyrs began to arrive-most of them from what appeared to be explosive bullets with shrapnel. My colleagues, the entire staff-nurses, technicians, and workers-continued to work non-stop."

"The ICU has seven beds and seven ventilators... The injuries would come in waves-dozens of patients. We treated them on the ICU floor due to lack of space, intubating and resuscitating on the ground. Surgeons performed emergency thoracotomies at the patient's location without anesthesia or sterilization, due to a shortage of supplies and the overwhelming numbers."

"A tank stood in front of the hospital. We were shelled in the ICU, the operating rooms, and other departments. We would duck our heads when we heard the sound, then resume working."

"At 6:00 PM, we heard they had occupied the city. We stayed in the ICU in silence until armed men entered four times under the pretense of searching for wounded... They took the phones of most staff. They ordered us to stay, not to leave or make any noise-or they would shoot. We remained in a small room in the ICU, side by side, until 1:30 AM."

"To this day, the National Hospital and all hospitals in the province continue to work, despite the limited resources and dire conditions-lack of supplies, flies, the smell of corpses, and the deadly scent of blood."

"I went through moments of weakness, surrender, and real fear for my family and my own fate, but the brutal killing of innocent people was the motivation to keep going and to carry out our duty as doctors, despite the hardships."

- Dr. Y.A, Resident Doctor