ISTANBUL 

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa said Thursday that Israel’s plans to undermine the region’s stability were thwarted by intervention from outside mediators as well as the state’s own efforts.

In a televised speech, Sharaa said that despite Israeli interventions targeting civilian and public institutions, “state efforts to restore stability and expel outlaw factions have succeeded.”

This would not have happened “without the effective intervention of American, Arab, and Turkish mediation, which saved the region from an unknown fate,” he added.

He said that Israel is seeking to turn Syria into “an arena of endless chaos” by dividing its people, ignoring the Syrian people’s rejection of all kinds of separation and division throughout history.

“The Druze people are an integral part of the fabric of this homeland,” he stressed.

He also stated that Syria chose to create opportunities for prominent Druze figures to pave the way for an agreement, rather than entering a war with Israel “at the expense of our Druze people and their security and destabilizing Syria and the entire region."

He added that some local factions and prominent figures are being assigned to maintain security in Suwayda to avoid “a new large-scale war that might drag it away from its major goals of recovering from the devastating (civil) war and distancing it from the political and economic difficulties left behind by the former regime.”

On Wednesday, the Interior Ministry confirmed a new ceasefire agreement in Suwayda, which includes full reintegration of the province under central government authority.

The deal was announced amid Israeli airstrikes targeting the capital, Damascus, as well as Suwayda and Daraa, on the pretext of protecting the Druze community.

Clashes erupted between armed Druze militias and Bedouin groups in Suwayda after e sides reportedly seized vehicles from each other.

The Interior Ministry said more than 30 people have been killed and nearly 100 injured in the violence.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​