UN Security Council holds meeting over military escalation in Syria

The UN Security Council held an emergency meeting on July 17 to address the outbreak of armed clashes in Syria’s As-Suwayda province and a series of Israeli airstrikes on military and strategic targets in Damascus.

Khaled Khiari, UN Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia, and the Pacific, said Secretary-General António Guterres condemned all violence against civilians, including any actions that incite interreligious hatred and rob the Syrian people of a chance for peace after 14 years of brutal conflict.

Khiari added that clashes between the Druze and national security forces, together with Israeli strikes, threatened Syria’s path toward a peaceful and inclusive political transition.

He also said that security and stability in As-Suwayda and across Syria after the ouster of Bashar al-Assad could only be secured through genuine national reconciliation involving all parts of Syria’s diverse society.

Greece’s Foreign Minister Georgios Gerapetritis told the Council that his country firmly condemned all attacks on civilians and religious sites in Syria. He criticized the recent strikes on the Greek Catholic Church of St. Michael in Sawarah and the bombing near the Orthodox Church of St. Elijah, saying these incidents underscored the challenges facing Syria’s Christian community and the need to fully protect all ethnic and religious groups in a unified Syria. He further stressed that investigations into violence in Syria must be transparent, swift, and consistent with international standards.

His remarks came as he reacted to a statement from Syria’s transitional administration announcing a ceasefire with Druze representatives and a pledge to hold those responsible to account.

Armed escalation in Syria

Around 30 people were killed in clashes between Syrian government forces and Druze minority units in the As-Suwayda area on Wednesday, July 16.

That same day, the Israeli military carried out airstrikes on Damascus and Syrian forces in the south to compel their withdrawal.

The Israeli government said it intended to protect the Druze community, which has significant support in Lebanon and Israel. Druze representatives later reached a ceasefire deal with Syrian government forces, and by the morning of July 17, the Syrian army had pulled back from the As-Suwayda region.

Nevertheless, new fighting subsequently broke out in the city between the Druze-aligned al-Khidri formation and dozens of local Arab tribes, which now claim to control most of the area.