UN Warns of Rising Violence, Israeli Strikes Escalate in Syria

Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East at the department of political affairs, briefs the Security Council on the situation in Syria.

A surge in sectarian violence in southern Syria and Israeli airstrikes reaching central Damascus have pushed the war-scarred country into a volatile state, a senior UN official said on Thursday. He warned that renewed violence could shatter prospects for peace and fuel wider regional instability.

The Druze-majority Sweida governorate, which had remained relatively insulated from earlier phases of Syria’s 14-year conflict, has now become a flashpoint.

Briefing an emergency meeting of the Security Council, UN Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Khiari painted a grim picture: hundreds of casualties among soldiers and civilians—including women, children, and the elderly—alongside reports of mass displacement, attacks on infrastructure, and hospitals “at or near capacity” amid power and water cuts.

“There were further alarming reports of civilians, religious figures, and detainees being subjected to extrajudicial executions and humiliating and degrading treatment,” he said.

Violent reprisals and looting have devastated communities, with graphic footage circulating widely on social media, amplifying fear and anger.

He urged all parties to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure.

12 July: Series of mutual kidnappings in Sweida escalate into armed clashes between Bedouin tribes and Druze armed groups.

14 July: Syrian security forces deploy to “halt clashes” and “restore order.” At least 10 personnel reportedly killed by Druze armed groups, others abducted. Reports emerge of abuses against civilians as forces enter Sweida.

Clashes intensify, leaving hundreds dead or wounded among security forces and Druze fighters, with casualties also reported among Druze and Bedouin civilians, including women, children, and the elderly. Sectarian rhetoric surges on social media.

15-16 July: Hundreds of Druze from the occupied Syrian Golan and Syria gather on both sides of the ceasefire line, in the presence of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), expressing solidarity with the Druze community in Sweida.

Against this backdrop, Israel, “pledging to protect” the Druze community, launched “escalatory” strikes on Syrian territory, Mr. Khiari said.

Between 12 and 16 July, air raids targeted Damascus authorities’ forces, official buildings, military installations, and the vicinity of the Presidential Palace.

“In addition to violating Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, Israel’s actions undermine efforts to build a new Syria at peace with itself and the region, and further destabilize Syria at a sensitive time,” Mr. Khiari said.

He urged both Israel and Syria to uphold the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement and “refrain from any action that would further undermine it and the stability on the Golan.”

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), there are severe disruptions to supply routes, with insecurity and road closures blocking aid deliveries. The UN World Health Organization (WHO) dispatched trauma care supplies to Daraa, but Sweida remains inaccessible.

Mr. Khiari stressed the need for humanitarian access and called on Damascus to ensure any investigations into alleged abuses are “transparent and in line with international standards.”

Reaffirming the Security Council’s March call for an inclusive, Syrian-owned political process under resolution 2254, Mr. Khiari warned: “Security and stability in Sweida, and indeed in post-Assad Syria, can only be achieved through genuine reconciliation and with the participation of all components of Syria’s diverse society.”

He urged all Syrian stakeholders to commit to dialogue and emphasized the UN’s support for an inclusive and credible political transition that ensures accountability, fosters national healing, and lays the foundation for Syria’s long-term recovery and prosperity.

“Only then can Syria truly emerge from the legacy of conflict and embrace a peaceful future,” he concluded.