Violence in Sweida: Joint statement from foreign ministers of several Arab countries and Turkey

The foreign ministers of several Arab countries, including Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon and Egypt, along with Turkey's foreign minister, held intensive discussions on the situation in Syria.

At the end of the meetings, they reaffirmed their standard position and joint efforts to support the Syrian government in rebuilding the country, guaranteeing its security, stability, unity, sovereignty and the rights of all its citizens, according to a statement relayed by the office of the Lebanese Foreign Ministry.

The release also relayed a joint statement to,

"1) Support Syria's security, unity, stability and sovereignty, rejecting any foreign interference,

2) Welcome the agreement putting an end to the crisis in the province of Sweida, insisting on its implementation to protect Syria and its inhabitants,

3) Endorse the Syrian President's commitment to prosecute those responsible for the violations in Sweida, and to strengthen security and the rule of law throughout Syria, while rejecting violence, sectarianism and incitement to hatred,

4) Strongly condemn the repeated Israeli attacks on Syria, calling them flagrant violations of international law that threaten Syrian stability and sovereignty, and jeopardize reconstruction efforts,

5) Affirm that Syria's security and stability are fundamental to regional security,

6) Call on the international community to support Syrian reconstruction, urge the Security Council to uphold its responsibilities to ensure Israel's complete withdrawal from occupied Syrian territories, the cessation of Israeli hostilities, compliance with the 1974 disengagement agreement, and implementation of resolution 2766."

The majority-Druze city of Sweida in southern Syria suffered heavy casualties Thursday, following the withdrawal of government troops. Interim president Ahmad al-Sharaa ordered this withdrawal in an effort, he said, to avoid an “open war” with Israel, which had threatened to intensify its strikes if the Syrian authorities did not leave the province, where clashes have left more than 500 dead since Sunday.