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Peaceful, Inclusive Political Transition in Syria at Risk in Wake of Deadly Sectarian Violence, Israeli Air Strikes, Assistant Secretary-General Warns Security Council

Meetings Coverage
Security Council

9960th Meeting (PM)

SC/16122
17 July 2025

Detailing another episode of sectarian violence in Syria — and the Israeli airstrikes that followed in its wake — a senior United Nations official told the Security Council today that the peaceful, credible, orderly and inclusive political transition Syria so desperately needs is at risk.

Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific, reported that, on 12 July, a series of kidnappings in the Druze-majority governorate of Suweida escalated into armed clashes between Bedouin tribes and local Druze armed groups. On 14 July, the Syrian authorities started deploying security forces with the stated aim of halting the clashes, restoring order and bringing those responsible to justice. Druze armed groups reportedly killed and abducted some of these security forces, and there were also reports of such forces carrying out violations against civilians as they entered Suweida.

"The ensuing fighting resulted in hundreds of casualties among the Damascus security forces and Druze fighters," he reported, also noting that hundreds were injured. Further, footage of corpse mutilation, sectarian incitement and looting were widely circulated on social and conventional media, causing additional trauma and intercommunal tension. He said that, according to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, "civilians caught up in ongoing violence continued to face serious risks, with significant displacement and reports of damage to critical infrastructure, including water, electricity and telecommunications networks".

He therefore reiterated the Secretary-General's "unequivocal" condemnation of all violence against civilians — including "all acts that fan the flames of sectarian tensions and rob the people of Syria of their opportunity for peace and reconciliation after 14 years of brutal conflict". He also acknowledged the Syrian authorities' statement condemning these violations and committing to investigate and hold accountable those responsible. He urged them to ensure such investigation is transparent, in line with international standards and completed quickly — "not least to instil confidence among all Syrians that their State will guarantee protection and justice for all citizens without distinction".

"Against this complicated and volatile backdrop — citing the violations against the Druze community and pledging to protect them — between 12 and 16 July Israel resumed and intensified its airstrikes on Syrian territory," he went on to report. Echoing the Secretary-General's condemnation of the same, he said that these actions "undermine efforts to build a new Syria at peace with itself and the region and further destabilize Syria at a sensitive time". Both Israel and Syria must uphold the terms of the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement, and he also urged all Syrian stakeholders to commit to dialogue.

He underscored: "Security and stability in Suweida — 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."

[...]