ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Hours after Israel launched an intense aerial campaign targeting government facilities in Damascus on Wednesday, the Syrian government announced reaching a ceasefire agreement in Suwayda; the announcement was swiftly rejected by the Druze community.

Israel has frequently carried out strikes on Syria in recent days, claiming it is in support of the Druze minority amid the ongoing escalations in Suwayda. Israeli forces on Wednesday targeted the Syrian General Staff Headquarters and an area near the Presidential Palace. At least one person was killed and 28 others injured in the attack, according to latest official figures.

“The IDF is committed to the deep alliance with the Druze community and is therefore conducting strikes against military targets throughout Syria to defend them in the as-Suwayda region, Jabal al-Druze, and wherever necessary,” read a statement from the Israeli military following the strikes on Damascus.

Turkey's foreign ministry described the Israeli attacks on Syria as an “attempt to sabotage Syria's efforts to ensure peace, stability and security.”

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said they are “very concerned” about the escalations in Syria, and that Washington is communicating with the involved parties and wants “the fighting to stop.”

Contested ceasefire in Suwayda

Hours after the attacks on Damascus, the Syrian interior ministry announced reaching a 14-point ceasefire agreement in Suwayda.

The agreement calls for “a complete cessation of all military operations immediately,” and the recruitment of personnel in Suwayda to assume “leadership and executive roles” in managing the city’s security, as well as the “full integration of Suwayda into the Syrian state, affirming the full sovereignty of the Syrian state over all of the Suwayda province.”

“This agreement is an important step toward rebuilding trust between the people of Suwayda and the Syrian state, and ensuring their security and stability. Our goal is for Syria to remain united, strong, and safe for all its people, including our people in Suwayda, who will remain an essential part of this beloved homeland,” the statement noted.

The Druze community’s spiritual leadership denied the ministry’s statement, saying “there is no agreement, negotiation, or authorization with these armed gangs that falsely call themselves a government,” and called on its members to continue fighting.

“We, in the Spiritual Presidency, emphasize the necessity of continuing our legitimate defense and continuing the fight until the entire territory of our province is liberated from these gangs unconditionally. We consider this a national, humanitarian, and moral duty in which there is no compromise.”

Clashes began in Druze-majority Suwayda on Sunday afternoon after gunmen from local tribes attacked police checkpoints of internal security forces, which prompted the deployment of government troops.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said on Monday that armed Bedouin tribesmen, along with members of the defense and interior ministries, launched attacks targeting several villages in Suwayda’s western countryside.

At least 260 people have been killed in the clashes so far, including 82 members of the Druze community and 156 security force members, according to SOHR.

Syria has repeatedly fallen into sectarian conflict since Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rebels overthrew the Bashar al-Assad regime in December, leading HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa to seize the presidency.

Despite promises of inclusion, minorities remain wary of the new regime in power.

The story and title were updated at 18:55 after the Druze community denied the announced ceasefire